THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

BEQUEST 

OF 

ANITA  D.  S.  BLAKE 


SWAMI    Alilll'DANANDA. 


VEDANTA    PHILOSOPHY 


Divine    Heritage   of  Man 


BY 

swAmi  abhedAnanda 


SECOND  EDITION 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE   VEDANTA    SOCIETY 

NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1903, 

BY 

SWAMI  ABHEDANANDA. 


Gwr 


Bl33 


Dedicated 

to  the 

Beloved  and  Revered  Memory 

of  the 

BLESSED   SWAM  I   k'lyEKANANDA 

My  Spiritual  Brother  and 

Fellow  Disciple  of 

BHAGAl^AN  SRI  RAMAKRISHNA 


'95 


Contents. 


PAOB 

I.  ExisTBNCB  o?  God 9 

II.  Attributes  of  God 39 

III.  Has  God  Any  Form? 6i 

IV.  Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God.  .  83 
V.  The  Relation  of  Soui^  to  God 121 

VI.  What  is  an  Incarnation  of  God? 145 

VII.  Son  op  God 167 

VIII.  DrviNB  Principi,e  in  Man 193 

5 


Existence  of  God. 


'    "That  which  exists  is  one:  men  coil  it  by  various 
names" — Rig  veda,  I,  164,  46. 


The  Existence  of  God. 

Human  minds  seem  to  have  almost  ex- 
hausted their  reasoning  powers  in  producing 
all  kinds  of  arguments  that  can  be  given  both 
for  and  against  the  existence  of  God.  For 
hundreds  of  years  philosophers,  scientists,  and 
theologians  among  all  nations  have  been  bring- 
ing forward  proofs  either  to  show  that  there  is 
such  a  Being  as  God  or  to  deny  His  existence 
entirely.  Of  course  most  of  the  arguments 
and  proofs  in  favor  of  the  existence  of  God  are 
convincing  to  those  who  already  have  some 
sort  of  belief  in  the  Creator  or  some  concep- 
tion of  the  Supreme  Being.  If  we  have  been 
brought  up  in  an  atmosphere  where  there  pre- 
vails a  beHef  in  God  as  the  Creator  and  Ruler 
of  the  universe  or  as  an  extra-mundane  Being 

who,  dwelling  outside  of  nature,  commands 
9 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

everything  and  directs  the  movements  of  the 
world,  then  unconsciously  we  breathe  in  and 
imbibe  that  belief  from  our  childhood,  and  as 
we  grow  older  we  accept  all  the  arguments 
and  evidences  that  we  can  find  in  support  of 
this  preconceived  idea. 

If  we  have  already  a  conception  of  God  as 
the  First  Cause,  then  all  the  inductions  and 
inferences  which  maintain  that  idea  will 
naturally  appeal  to  us  and  we  shall  take  them 
for  granted.  But  those  whose  minds  are  not 
biased  or  influenced  by  any  such  idea,  beHef ,  or 
conception,  those  who  are  able  to  examine 
these  proofs  critically  in  the  light  of  modern 
science,  applying  logic  and  reason,  and  those 
who  freely  investigate  nature,  searching  for  an 
extra- cosmic  creator  and  ruler  of  the  universe, 
may  fail  to  find  any  convincing  proof,  and  may 
therefore  deny  the  existence  of  God,  as  such, 
or  as  the  First  Cause  of  all. 

We  all  know  how  the  theory  of  evolution  has 
revolutionized  the  old  idea  of  the  special  crea- 
tion of  the  world  out  of  nothing  at  some  definite 
10 


The  Existence  of  God. 

period  of  time.  Those  who  found  consolation 
in  the  design  theory  and  held  it  to  be  the  most 
unassailable  ground  in  favor  of  the  existence  of 
an  Omnipotent  Designer,  are  now  hopelessly 
discouraged  by  the  introduction  of  the  Dar- 
winian theories  of  natural  selection  and  sexual 
selection.  By  these  theories  we  can  explain 
almost  all  the  so-called  designs  of  the  Creator. 
Moreover,  the  design  argument  cannot  make 
clear  why  under  the  government  of  a  just, 
omnipotent,  and  omniscient  Ruler  should 
happen  such  disorders  as  the  volcanic  erup- 
tions on  the  Island  of  Martinique,  or  as  the 
plagues,  famines,  and  other  disasters  which 
devastate  different  countries,  destroying  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  innocent  Hving  creatures. 
The  design  theory  cannot  trace  the  causes  of 
such  disasters;  for  if  there  were  a  Designer, 
His  design  should  be  perfect  and  there  should 
be  harmony  instead  of  discord. 

The   monotheistic   rehgions    have   tried   to 
explain  the  cause  of  all  the  disorders  that  occur 

in  the  universe  by  a  theory  of  a  Creator  of  evil 
11 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

as  distinct  and  separate  from  the  Designer  of 
good.  This  method  of  explanation,  however, 
does  not  help  us  much  in  proving  the  existence 
of  a  perfect,  all-powerful  and  infinite  God,  for 
we  shall  then  have  to  admit  two  beings,  one 
the  creator  of  good  and  the  other  the  creator  of 
evil,  which  will  make  each  limited  by  the  other 
and  will  take  away  all  idea  of  the  omnipotency 
and  infinity  of  the  Supreme  Being. 

Those  who  beheve  that  God  is  the  First 
Cause  of  the  universe,  must  determine  the 
nature  of  that  first  cause — whether  He  is  the 
efficient  or  the  material  cause.  We  know  that 
these  two  causes  are  essential  for  the  production 
of  a  thing,  as,  in  the  case  of  a  pot,  the  potter  is 
the  efficient  and  the  earth  is  the  material  cause. 
Now  if  we  say  that  God  is  the  efficient  or 
instrumental  cause  of  the  universe,  like  the 
maker  of  a  pot,  then  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible for  Him  to  create  without  the  help  of 
the  material  cause,  which  must  have  co- 
existed with  the  Creator.  Here  we  are  con- 
fronted with  the  same  difficulty— that  God 
12 


The  Existence  of  God. 

who  stands  outside  the  material  cause,  is  lim- 
ited by  matter,  therefore  He  cannot  be  un- 
limited in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term.  If,  on 
the  contrary,  the  material  cause  be  meant  by 
First  Cause,  then  He  must  have  gone  through 
all  the  changes  of  evolution,  which  would  make 
Him  Hke  a  changeable,  phenomenal  object  of 
the  universe,  a  conclusion  which  we  cannot 
accept. 

The  moral  argument  that  the  moral  laws 
presuppose  a  law-giver  cannot  prove  the  exist- 
ence of  God,  since  we  know  that  natural  laws 
do  not  presuppose  a  law-giver.     In  the  first 
place    we    should    understand    what    "law" 
means.     The  forces  of  nature  are  operating  in 
the  universe  in  certain  modes,  and  when  the 
regularity  and  uniformity  of  these  modes  are 
obser^^ed  and  interpreted  by  the  human  mind, 
they  are  called  "laws";    consequently  these 
laws  are  to  be  found  neither  in  nature  nor  out- 
side of  it,  but  in  the  human  mind.     Secondly, 
as  in  external  nature  the  natural  forces  acting 
under  regular  modes  do  not  presuppose  a  law- 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

giver,  so  it  can  be  shown  that  the  moral  laws 
are  but  modes  in  which  natural  forces  operate 
on  the  moral  plane;  that  they  do  not  need  a 
moral  law-giver,  but  their  process  is  the  same  as 
the  evolutionary  process  of  the  physical  world. 
Furthermore,  all  such  conceptions  of  God  as 
the  natural  law-giver  or  the  moral  law-giver 
are  rejected  by  advanced  thinkers  as  the 
anthropomorphic  ideas  of  uncultured  minds. 
All  these  proofs  and  many  other  arguments 
like  these  which  were  considered  to  be  sufficient 
to  establish  the  existence  of  an  extra- cosmic 
creator,  ruler,  or  law-giver  of  the  universe,  are 
now  thrown  aside  as  imperfect  and  fallacious. 
In  these  days  of  science  and  reason  when  we 
try  to  prove  the  existence  of  God,  we  do  not 
search  for  a  creator  or  fashioner  of  the  world, 
for  a  designer  or  first  cause  of  the  phenomenal 
universe;  neither  do  we  look  for  a  moral  law- 
giver; our  conception  of  God  has  outgrown 
those  stages  of  evolution  and  has  become  as 
large  as  the  infinity  of  the  universe.     We  no 

longer  think  that  this  earth  is  the  stationary 
14 


The  Existence  of  God. 

centre  around  which  the  sun,  moon  and  other 
luminaries  of  the  heavens  revolve,  moved  by 
the  supernatural  power  of  angels,  who,  accord- 
ing to  the  old-fashioned  behef,  dwelt  above  the 
blue  dome  of  the  sky  overhead  and  moved 
these  planets  according  to  their  whims  and 
fancies.  We  are  just  beginning  to  understand 
the  vastness  of  the  universe.  Modem  astron- 
omy has  opened  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  this 
earth  which  we  inhabit  is  to  be  considered  as 
an  infinitesimal  point  when  compared  with  the 
immensity  of  space  and  with  the  innumerable 
cosmic  bodies  that  exist  above  the  horizon.  We 
have  learned  that  there  are  heavenly  bodies 
beyond  our  solar  system,  the  nearest  one  of 
which  is  so  distant  from  us  that  its  light,  travel- 
ling at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- six 
thousand  miles  per  second,  requires  three  and 
a  half  years  to  reach  our  earth.  There  are  other 
stars  so  remote  that  thousands  of  years  are 
needed  for  their  light,  travelling  at  the  same 
rate,  to  arrive  at  our  planet.     We  are  assured 

that  more  than  one  thousand  million  stars  have 
15 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

been  discovered  by  the  telescope  and  that  there 
may  be  millions  and  millions  of  suns  which  are 
yet  beyond  the  reach  of  our  best  instruments. 

Thus,  as  far  as  we  can  get  by  stretching  our 
imagination  we  do  not  find  any  limit  or  bound- 
ary to  the  universe;  we  still  have  the  feeHng 
that  there  is  something  beyond.  This  sense 
of  something  existing  beyond  what  we  know 
and  perceive  is  always  with  us;  we  cannot  get 
rid  of  it.  Even  when  we  try  to  perceive  a 
finite  object,  that  sense  of  beyond  is  most 
intimately  connected  with  our  perception  and 
conception  of  it.  There  is  a  feeling  of  the 
infinite  very  closely  associated  with  all  our 
ideas  and  concepts.  Take,  for  instance,  the 
geometrical  figure,  a  square;  when  we  try  to 
perceive  that  square,  we  can  only  perceive  it 
by  perceiving  the  space  beyond  it.  We  see  it 
as  a  figure  enclosed  by  four  straight  Hnes,  but 
at  the  same  time  there  is  a  feeling  of  the  space 
beyond,  otherwise  we  could  not  perceive  the 
square. 

Again  when  we  look  at  the  space  which  is  cir- 
16 


The  Existence  of  God. 

cumscribed  by  the  horizon  we  do  not  lose  the 

sense   that    there   is    something   beyond    that 

Hmit,  that  infinite  space  extends  beyond  the 

visible  horizon.     The  same  perception  of  Hmit- 

lessness  or  of  the  infinite  is  closely  associated 

with  the  idea  of  time.     We  cannot  conceive 

either  its  beginning  or  its  end.     There  always 

remains  the  sense  of  the  eternal  beyond  both 

before  and  after  our  conception  of  time.     In 

this  way  we  get   the  perception  of  eternity. 

The  human  mind  is  so  peculiarly  constituted 

that  it  is  incapable  of  finding  the  absolutely 

defined  limit  of  any  thing  of  the  world.     Trees, 

mountains,  rivers,  earth,  sun,  moon,  and  all 

other  objects  of  the  senses  are  tangible,  but  do 

we  find  any  definite  Hmit  when  we  carefully 

analyze  our  perceptions  of  these  objects  ?     No, 

we  do  not.     We  may  try  our  best,  but  we  are 

sure  to  discover,  sooner  or  later,  that  there  is  a 

sense  of  beyond  constantly  attached  to  them. 

Let  us  take  an  illustration:  suppose  that  we 

stand  under  a  big  oak  tree;  \yq  may  look  at 

it,  touch  it,  or  smell  it,  but  can  we  perceive  the 
17 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

absolute  limit  of  that  tree?  Do  our  senses 
take  in  the  whole  tree  at  one  time?  No,  our 
senses  cannot  reach  its  deepest  roots  or  its 
highest  branches,  nor  do  we  know  what  is 
going  on  under  the  bark  or  in  the  leaves.  It  is 
impossible  for  any  one  to  take  in  the  whole  tree 
at  one  time ;  we  may  take  it  in  by  parts,  but  at 
the  same  time  the  perception  of  each  part  will 
under  all  circumstances  leave  in  our  minds  the 
sense  of  beyond.  Again  when  we  think  of  the 
innumerable  atoms  and  molecules  that  make 
up  the  body  of  that  tree,  its  finite  form  vanishes, 
leaving  an  impression  that  what  we  call  *'tree" 
is  indeed  an  expression  of  the  infinite ;  for  when 
the  form  is  gone,  that  which  is  left  of  the  tree 
is  inseparable  from  the  infinite  ocean  of  some 
substance  imperceptible  to  the  senses.  More- 
over, when  we  try  to  know  the  power  or  force 
that  gives  form  to  that  tree  and  makes  it  living, 
which  cannot  be  separated  from  it,  then  in  one 
sense  we  must  say  that  the  tree  has  in  it  some- 
thing intangible,  mysterious  and  unknowable; 

we  cannot  help  it. 

18 


The  Existence  of  God. 

In  the  same  manner  it  can  be  shown  that 
every  finite  perception  or  conception  of  an 
object  brings  with  it  a  sense  of  beyond,  a  per- 
ception of  the  infinite,  or  something  that  is 
unknown  and  unknowable,  of  something  that 
is  eternal.  Take  a  drop  of  water  which  is 
finite;  put  it  under  the  microscope  and  you 
will  see  infinitesimal  atoms  moving  about,  some 
clearly  visible,  some  so  minute  that  they  are 
hardly  perceptible  with  the  help  of  the  most 
powerful  microscope.  Yet  modern  chemistry 
tells  us  that  we  can  ascertain  the  relative 
position  of  these  atoms  so  minute  that  millions 
upon  milhons  of  them  could  stand  upon  the 
point  of  a  needle.  Is  not  the  infinitude  of  this 
small  drop  of  water  as  wonderful  as  the  in- 
finity of  space?  Indeed  the  drop  of  water  is 
finite  and  infinite  at  the  same  time.  When  we 
see  a  flower,  or  touch  it,  we  cannot  help  realiz- 
ing in  the  same  way  that  it  is  the  finite  appear- 
ance of  that  something  which  we  cannot  know, 
which   is   infinite   and   eternal.     It   is   like   a 

beautiful  painting   upon   the    canvas  of  that 
19 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

eternal  invisible  substance  of  the  universe  which 
the  senses  cannot  perceive,  which  the  mind 
cannot  grasp  or  comprehend;  it  is  the  expres- 
sion of  that  infinite  matter  which  fills  all  space. 
No  one  can  deny  the  existence  of  this  substance 
which  appears  to  our  senses  in  an  infinite 
variety  of  forms  and  shapes. 

Modern  science  tells  us  that  this  all-pervad- 
ing substance  of  the  universe  has  neither  be- 
ginning nor  end,  because  we  cannot  know  its 
limit  either  in  space  or  in  time.  As  far  back 
as  we  can  go  in  our  conception  of  time,  we  find 
that  the  sense  of  beyond  is  present ;  it  is  there- 
fore eternal,  that  is,  beginningless  and  endless. 
It  is  neither  increased  nor  diminished  by  any- 
thing ;  we  cannot  add  one  iota  to  this  sub- 
stance, nor  can  we  subtract  anything  from  it; 
it  is  consequently  unchangeable  in  quantity  as 
well  as  in  quality.  It  is  all-powerful  because 
all  the  forces  manifested  in  the  perceptible 
world  proceed  from  and  rest  upon  that  un- 
limited substance.  We  may  call  it  by  what- 
ever name  we  like;  it  is  the  real  essence  of  all 
20 


The  Existence  of  God. 

phenomena.  It  is  like  the  ocean  upon  which 
the  waves  of  phenomenal  forms  are  rising  and, 
after  playing  their  parts,  are  disappearing  again 
and  again.  All  these  forms  of  sun,  or  moon, 
or  stars,  of  human  beings  or  animals,  are 
nothing  but  waves  in  that  infinite  ocean.  As 
the  waves  cannot  exist  without  the  ocean,  so 
finite  objects  cannot  exist  without  the  infinite 
substance  which  is  behind  and  beyond  all 
phenomena.  That  infinite  substance  is  the 
support  of  the  universe;  it  is  one  because  it  is 
infinite ;  if  the  infinite  were  many,  it  would  lose 
its  limitless  nature  and  become  finite. 

Ever  since  the  dawn  of  intellect  upon  the 
horizon  of  the  human  mind  there  has  been  a 
constant  struggle  for  a  definite  knowledge  of 
this  something  w^hich  is  beyond  all  finite  exist- 
ence and  yet  is  not  finite.  The  human  mind 
cannot  rest  contented  with  the  mere  play  of 
appearances,  but  always  yearns  to  know"  w^hat 
it  is  that  appears.  From  ancient  times  those 
who  have  had  some  kind  of  perception  of  this 
infinite  as  related  to  the  phenomenal  universe 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

have  also  tried  to  express  their  ideas  by  giving 
different  names  to  it.  Thus  have  arisen  the 
various  names  by  which  human  minds  have 
designated  this  infinite  substance;  but  each  of 
these  names  now  stands  Hke  a  landmark  in  the 
path  of  the  evolution  of  the  conception  of  God. 
Whether  we  call  that  infinite  substance  God, 
or  Creator,  or  Designer,  or  First  Cause,  or  the 
Father,  or  Jehovah,  or  Allah,  or  Brahman,  we 
mean  the  same  infinite,  eternal,  all-powerful 
and  unchangeable  Substance.  Every  individual 
has  a  vague  perception  of  this  infinite  around 
him  or  her;  some  are  more  conscious  of  it 
than  others.  The  more  that  we  are  dissatisfied 
and  discontented  with  finite  things,  the  stronger 
grows  in  us  the  desire  to  know  more  about 
this  infinite,  to  understand  more  about  that 
something  which  is  not  finite,  which  is  beyond 
finite  time  and  beyond  limited  space.  When 
we  find  no  pleasure,  no  satisfaction,  no  happi- 
ness in  objects  Hmited  by  time  and  space,  and 
when  we  reahze  the  transitoriness  of  all  that  is 

finite,  our  inner  nature  longs  for  that  which  is 
22 


The  Existence  of  God. 

absolutely  unlimited,  and  we  wish  to  know 
where  it  is  and  how  it  is.  We  seek  it  here  and 
there,  not  knowing  exactly  what  we  want;  we 
struggle  for  knowledge;  and  this  struggle,  this 
search  for  that  Infinite  Being,  grows  stronger 
and  stronger  until  the  reahzation  of  the  true 
nature  of  the  infinite  is  obtained. 

To  a  materiaHst  who  studies  the  objective 
side  of  the  universe,  this  infinite  substance 
appears  as  material  and  insentient;  he  calls 
it  matter,  and  tries  to  deduce  this  phenomenal 
world  from  this  infinite  unintelligent  matter. 
The  matter  of  the  materiaHst,  however,  is  as 
infinite,  as  eternal,  as  all-powerful  as  the  God 
or  the  Supreme  Being  of  the  religionists.  A 
materialist  simply  studies  the  objective  world 
and  does  not  recognize  or  study  the  subjective 
universe;  therefore  he  is  satisfied  with  his  con- 
clusions; but  as  the  objective  side  is  only  one- 
half  of  the  universe,  his  conclusions  are  one- 
sided. Those  who,  on  the  contrary,  study 
subjective  nature,  discover  the  same  infinite 

behind  their  Hmited  minds,  beyond  every  idea, 
23 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

thought,  feehng,  or  sensation.  The  finite  mind 
is  that  which  takes  the  forms  of  thoughts,  ideas, 
feehngs,  sensations,  and  which  is  Hmited  by  the 
sense  of  "I."  When,  however,  we  try  to  think 
of  the  definite  boundary  of  the  sense  of  '^I "  or 
of  the  finite  mind,  we  cannot  find  it ;  we  fail  to 
trace  the  beginning  or  end  of  that  which  thinks, 
or  feels,  or  perceives,  or  conceives,  or  imagines. 
We  reahze  that  as  physical  forms  are  like  the 
waves  in  the  infinite  ocean  of  eternal  space 
filled  with  substance,  so  thoughts,  ideas,  feel- 
ings, sensations  are  but  so  many  waves  in  the 
infinite  ocean  of  mental  space  filled  with  finer 
substance.  As  we  cannot  attach  the  sense  of 
"I"  to  our  physical  form,  so  we  cannot  call 
these  mental  forms  our  own.  Thus  after  care- 
ful study  the  students  of  the  subjective  world 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  subjective 
infinite  is  the  Reality  of  the  universe,  and  that 
external  phenomena  are  but  the  representa- 
tions or  projections  of  the  subjective  infinite, 
or  mind.  According  to  them  time  and  space  do 

not  exist  outside  the  mind,  consequently  every- 
24 


The  Existence  of  God. 

thing  in  space  and  time  is  Hke  a  picture  of  the 

subjective  idea.     They  deny  the  existence  of 

matter  and  trace  the  origin  of  all  quahties  or 

powers  of  the  finite  mind  to  that  infinite  mind. 

They  give  the  attribute  of  intelligence  to  it  and 

call  it   the   eternal,  intelHgent,  cosmic   mind. 

The  existence  of  infinite  mind  is  as  undeniable 

as  that  of  infinite  matter.     But  this  substance, 

whether  we  call  it  mind  or  matter,  subject  or 

object,  is  the  one  unknowable  Being  of  the 

universe.     All  mental  as  well  as  all  physical 

forms  are  but  its  appearances.     It  is  called 

in  Sanskrit  Brahman.     From  this  infinite  and 

eternal  Brahman  we  have  come  into  existence; 

in  It  we  live  and  into  It  w^e  return  at  the  end  of 

phenomenal  existence. 

In  ancient  India  the  question  was  asked, 

*'What  is   God?"     The   answer  we  find  in 

Vedanta :     "  That  from  which  all  animate  and 

inanimate  objects  have  come  into  existence,  in 

which  they  live  and  play  like  waves  in  the  sea, 

and  into  which  they  return  ultimately  at  the 

time  of  dissolution,  know  that  to  be  Brahman, 
25 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

or  the  infinite  Substance,  or  God."  Who  can 
hve  without  being  sustained  by  this  Infinite 
One  ?  As  a  painting  cannot  stand  without  the 
background,  so  phenomena  cannot  exist  with- 
out being  supported  by  the  infinite  Substance 
or  Brahman.  It  pervades  the  universe,  inter- 
penetrating atoms  and  molecules,  yet  it  lies 
beyond  all  the  mental  and  physical  phenomena 
of  the  manifested  universe.  It  is  not  confined 
by  the  limitations  of  sex  or  gender;  we  may 
call  this  Being  he,  she,  or  it.  This  infinite 
substance  or  Brahman  is  incomprehensible 
and  unknowable  to  finite  minds.  That  to 
which  the  modern  agnostics  refer  when  they  use 
the  term  "Unknowable"  is  the  same  Infinite 
Being. 

Here  we  must  not  forget  the  meaning  of  the 
verb  "to  know."  In  its  ordinary  sense  "to 
know"  means  first  to  perceive  through  the 
senses  and  then  to  form  a  concept  of  the  object 
perceived.  Consequently,  all  our  knowledge 
is  limited  by  the  power  of  perception  as  well 

as  by  the  mind.     To  know  God  or  the  Infinite 
26 


The  Existence  of  God. 

Being  by  the  same  kind  of  knowledge  as  that 
by  which  we  know  a  stone  or  a  tree  or  a  dog 
would  be  tantamount  to  annihilating  God. 
Because  a  known  God  in  this  sense  would 
cease  to  be  God;  He  would  become  a  phenom- 
enal object,  an  idol,  and  not  the  Infinite  Being, 
for  in  trying  to  know  God,  we  would  be  bringing 
that  Infinite  Being  within  the  limits  of  our  finite 
mind.  In  this  sense,  therefore,  God,  or  the  In- 
finite Being,  is  always  unknown  and  unknow- 
able. Shall  we  then  join  the  agnostics  and  be 
contented  with  our  ignorance  and  powerless- 
ness  to  know  the  Infinite  ?  Shall  we  cease  from 
all  our  attempts  and  struggles  to  understand 
the  nature  of  the  Infinite  or  to  know  the  exist- 
ence of  God  when  He  is  unknowable?  No. 
Here  is  a  great  fact  to  learn,  that  although  the 
Infinite  Being  is  unknown  and  unknowable 
according  to  the  point  of  view  of  modern 
agnosticism.  He  is  more  than  known,  more  than 
knowable  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Vedanta. 
He  is  the  essence  of  our  being,  the  essence  of  our 

Self.    He  is  the  source  of  our  knowledge.    All 

27 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

knowledge  proceeds  from  that  infinite  Wisdom; 

when  we  know  a  thing,  we  know  it  in  and 

through  Him.    When,  for  instance,  we  know 

a  table,  we  say  that  the  table  is  known,  but  can 

we  trace  the  source  of  this  knowledge?     Do 

we  know  from  where  it   comes?    It    is    not 

created  by  us.     It  is  eternal;   it  exists  in  the 

infinite  mind  or  that  something  behind  the 

finite  mind,  and  through  that  knowledge  we 

say  that  the  table  is  known.     When  we  say 

that  ether  is  unknown  and  unknowable,  we  use 

this  same  knowledge  as  our  guide.     That  by 

which  we  are  able  to  cognize  a  thing  and  to 

call  it  known  or  unknown  is  Divinity  itself. 

Therefore  whether  we  know  a  thing  or  do  not 

know  it,  knowledge  in  either  case  is  possible 

only  through  the  one  source  of  all  wisdom  and 

consciousness. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  God  is  more  than 

anything  known  and  knowable  or  anything 

unknown  and  unknowable.     He  is  infinitely 

higher  than  either.     He  is  the  essence  of  the 

ego  or  "I" J  no  one  can  live  without  being  sus- 
28 


The  Existence  of  God. 

talned  by  that  infinite  source  of  existence, 
knowledge,  and  consciousness.  It  is  not  that 
God  dwells  somewhere  outside  of  the  universe 
and  from  there  is  making  my  blood  circulate 
or  my  heart  beat,  but  He  is  in  every  cell  of  my 
body.  He  fills  the  space  of  my  form.  I  owe  my 
existence  to  Him.  He  is  the  Soul  of  my  soul 
as  well  as  the  Soul  of  the  universe.  He  is  in 
you,  in  me,  in  the  chair,  in  the  wall  and  every- 
where, yet  we  do  not  see  or  know  Him.  It 
would  be  a  great  degradation  of  God  if  He 
could  be  known  by  our  ordinary  knowledge. 
He  would  then  be  like  a  changeable,  limited, 
phenomenal  something  such  as  we  perceive 
with  our  senses;  whereas  He  is  in  fact  the 
Knower  of  the  universe,  the  Eternal  Subject 
who  knows  everything  in  each  of  us.  The 
Knower  or  the  Subject  in  us  is  unchangeable, 
eternal  and  one. 

When  we  understand  that  by  knowledge  is 
meant  objectification,  we  reahze  that  all  our 
attempts  to  express  that  infinite  Subject  in 
language — to  call  Him  Father,  Brother,  or  dear- 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

est  Friend — are  nothing  but  so  many  efforts  of 
the  human  mind  to  objectify  the  infinite,  un- 
limited Subject  of  the  universe.  We  cannot, 
however,  remain  satisfied  with  this  imperfect 
knowledge  of  Divinity;  we  desire  to  know 
more  about  the  Infinite  Being.  Gradually  we 
may  come  to  reahze  that  He  is  the  Creator  of 
the  world,  the  Governor  of  all,  or  the  First 
Cause  of  the  universe.  But  here  again  we 
shall  not  rest  content;  we  shall  still  wish  to 
know  more  about  Him.  Then  we  shall  find 
that  the  same  Infinite  Substance  or  Being 
which  is  beyond  every  finite  object,  beyond 
space  and  time,  above  mind  and  body,  is  in 
reality  not  very  far  from  us;  wherefore  it  is 
said  in  the  Vedanta : 

"He  is  far  from  us,  yet  He  is  nearer  than 
the  nearest;  He  dwells  in  everything,  yet  He 
is  outside  the  phenomenal  universe;  He  is 
infinitely  smaller  than  the  atom  of  an  atom, 
yet  He  is  infinitely  larger  than  the  largest 
solar  system,  than  the  space  which  covers  the 

perceptible  universe." 

30 


The  Existence  of  God. 

When  we  see  the  sun,  moon,  or  stars,  we 

see  that  part  of  the  Infinite  which  is  visible  to 

our  eyes;  when  we  hear  a  sound,  we  perceive 

that  part  of  the  Infinite  which  is  audible  to 

our  ears;   but  God  is  in  reaHty  beyond  light, 

sound,  odor,  taste  or  touch.     He  is  the  same 

Infinite  Substance  which  transcends  time  and 

space,  mind  and  sense  powers.     By  knowing 

so  much  of  the  Infinite,  however,  we  are  yet 

unsatisfied,  we  still  desire  to  know  more.     Our 

souls  still  long  for  a  deeper  knowledge  of  that 

all-pervading  Substance.     The  more  we  study 

phenomenal  objects  the  less  are  we  content 

with  the  knowledge  that  we  can  gather  from  this 

study.     We  may  devote  the  whole  of  our  lives 

and  spend  all  the  energy  we  possess  in  trying 

to  satisfy  this  craving  for  knowledge  of  the 

Infinite  by  studying  the  phenomenal  world, 

but   this    thirst    for    knowledge    will    not    be 

quenched;   it  will  remain,  as  it  does  in  all  the 

great  thinkers  of  the  world.     We  may  read 

books,  philosophies,  sciences,  and  Scriptures, 

but  the  longing  of  the  soul  will  never  be  fulfilled 
31 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

by  reading  books.     There  is  only  one  way  to 

quench  this  thirst  and  that  is  by  reahzing  the 

Infinite. 

The  word  "realize"  means  something  more 

than  ordinary  knowing.     By  "realizing"  we 

mean    being    and    becoming    one    with    the 

Infinite.    If  we  can  know  that  the  all-pervading 

Being  is  the  Essence  of  our  lives  and  the  Soul 

of  our   souls,   we   become  more   and  more 

acquainted  with  that  Infinite  and  understand 

its  whole  nature — not  the  objective  side  alone, 

not  merely  as  the  material  substance,  but  as 

the  infinite  mind  substance,  and  also  as  that 

which   transcends   this   substance  of   mental 

phenomena.    I  mean  when  we  have  realized 

the  Infinite  Spirit,  when  we  have  found  that  It 

is  the  source  of  all  powers  and  forces  as  well  as 

the  basis  of  our  consciousness,  the  foundation 

of  our  existence,  the  life  and  the  reality  of  the 

universe,    then   the   thirst   for   knowledge   is 

quenched,   then  all  questions  regarding  the 

existence  of  God  are  answered,  all  doubts 

cease  forever. 

32 


The  Existence  of  God. 

But  it  may  be  asked :  How  can  we  know  the 
Supreme  Being  as  the  Soul  of  our  souls?  By 
rising  above  the  plane  of  consciousness  of  the 
finite.  This  plane  of  consciousness  will  never 
reveal  the  true  nature  of  the  Infinite  Being 
because  it  functions  within  the  Hmitations  of 
the  senses,  consequently  it  cannot  reach  the 
infinite  which  is  above  all  limits.  We  may 
have  a  vague  perception  of  it  or  we  may  think 
of  it  as  the  subject  or  object,  as  mind  or 
matter;  but  that  is  not  the  same  as  the  realiza- 
tion of  the  Absolute  One.  If  we  can  rise  above 
time  and  space,  shutting  out  all  sense  objects, 
making  the  mind  impervious  to  all  sensations 
of  external  objects,  if  we  can  then  direct  the 
whole  energy  of  mind  and  soul  towards  the 
Infinite  within  us,  then  we  shall  be  able  to 
realize  the  Soul  of  our  souls,  then  the  truth  of 
the  existence  of  God  will  be  revealed  to  us. 

If  we  wish  to  know  God,  we  shall  have  to 

enter  into   the   state   of    superconsciousness. 

All  the  great  spiritual  leaders  of  the  world, 

Jesus  the  Christ,  Buddha,  Ramakrishna,  and 
33 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

others,  who  preached  the  existence  of  God, 
first  reahzed  Him  by  entering  into  the  state  of 
superconsciousness.  Those  who  have  studied 
Raja  Yoga*  and  have  practised  it  will  under- 
stand what  superconsciousness  means.  All 
revelation  and  inspiration  come  in  that  state. 
The  longing  for  more  knowledge  has  led  the 
river  of  the  soul  into  the  ocean  of  Infinite 
Wisdom.  In  that  state  the  individual  soul 
realizes  the  bhssfulness  which  is  beyond  the 
reach  of  ordinary  mortals,  which  cannot  be 
obtained  by  wealth,  property,  or  worldly  pros- 
perity. Friends  and  relatives  cannot  help  us 
in  rising  to  that  bHssful  condition.  It  is  a 
state  attaining  which  nothing  remains  unattain- 
able, realizing  which  the  true  nature  of  every- 
thing is  revealed.  It  is  a  state  in  which  no 
desire  remains  unfulfilled,  in  which  the  indi- 
vidual soul,  transcending  all  limitations,  be- 
comes one  with  the  Infinite  and  enjoys  un- 


*  "  Raja  Yoga,"  by  Swami  Vivekananda.  Published 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Vedanta  Society  of  New 
York. 

34 


The  Existence  of  God. 

bounded  happiness  both  here  and  hereafter. 
Such  a  knower  of  the  Infinite  says : 

''I  have  attained  everything  that  is  to  be 
attained,  I  have  reaHzed  all  that  can  be  real- 
ized. I  have  known  that  Infinite  Being  that 
is  worshipped  under  different  names  by  dif- 
ferent nations  as  God,  or  Father  in  heaven, 
or  Allah,  or    Buddha,    or   Christ,    or   Divine 

Mother,  or  Brahman.'^ 
35 


Attributes  of  God. 


**  The  Supreme  Spirit  is  devoid  of  the  defining  attributes 
of  form,  color,  etc.  He  is  unchangeable ^  unborn,  eternal, 
indestructible,  imperishable  and  is  always  of  one  nature. 
He  is  pure  and  the  repository  of  all  blessed  qualities." 
— ^Vishnu  Purana. 


Attributes  of  God. 

God  is  described  in  the  different  Scriptures 
as  a  spirit,  infinite,  eternal,  unchangeable,  true 
and  one ;  the  omnipotent  and  omniscient 
creator  and  governor  of  the  universe,  and  the 
repository  of  all  blessed  quahties,  such  as  jus- 
tice, goodness,  mercy,  and  love.  If  we  ask  a 
Christian,  a  Jew,  a  Mahometan,  a  Parsee,  a 
Hindu,  or  a  follower  of  any  other  sect  or  creed 
what  is  his  conception  of  God,  each  one  of  them 
will  quote  passages  from  his  Scriptures  giving 
the  same  attributes  to  the  Divine  Being,  whom 
they  worship  under  various  names— such  as 
Father  in  heaven,  Jehovah,  Allah,  Ahura 
Mazda,  or  Brahman.  The  names  may  vary 
but  the  attributes  of  God  are  with  each  exactly 

the  same. 

A  catholic  priest  who  bows  down  before  the 
39 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

image  of  Jesus  the  Christ  and  prays  to  Him, 
who  burns  incense  and  Hghts  candles;  a 
protestant  clergyman  who  does  not  believe  in 
bowing  down  before  any  image;  a  Mahometan 
priest  who  is  a  fanatical  iconoclast  and  denies 
all  forms  of  God;  or  a  Hindu  priest  who  wor- 
ships an  idol  in  a  temple,  invariably  agree  with 
one  another  in  describing  the  attributes  of  the 
God  they  worship.  There  is  no  difference  be- 
tween the  God  of  a  Christian  or  a  Mahometan 
of  a  Parsee  or  a  Hindu,  because  each  of  them 
believes  that  God  is  infinite  and  one. 

How  can  there  be  many  Gods  when  their 
attributes  are  the  same  and  identical  every- 
where? Yet  a  Christian  calls  the  Hindu  a 
heathen,  and  a  Mahometan  calls  a  Christian 
an  imbeHever,  and  each  in  turn  quarrels  with 
the  other.  Why  is  there  so  much  persecution 
if  God  is  one  ?  Because  of  the  ignorance  of  His 
behevers.  They  do  not  even  try  to  understand 
the  true  meaning  of  any  of  the  attributes  which 
they  give  to  God;    their  eyes  are  blinded  by 

ignorance,    fanaticism    and    bigotry.     Stimu- 
40 


Attributes  of  God. 

lated  by  false  belief  and  superstition,  they 
maintain  that  their  God  is  the  only  true  God, 
while  the  God  of  other  nations  is  untrue,  and 
they  cannot  see  that  every  one  worships  the 
same  Infinite  Being.  Fanatical  Christians 
preach:  "Beware  of  the  God  of  the  heathen. 
He  cannot  give  salvation  to  His  worshippers"; 
as  if  there  were  two  Gods. 

Ignorance  is  the  mother  of  fanaticism, 
bigotry,  superstition,  and  of  all  that  springs 
from  them.  Fanatics  cannot  realize  that 
God  is  the  common  property  of  all,  that 
whether  He  be  worshipped  by  a  Christian 
or  by  a  Hindu,  He  is  one,  because  His  attri- 
butes are  identical.  Among  those  who  are 
not  so  fanatical  there  are  many  who  give 
the  same  attributes  to  God  without,  how- 
ever, understanding  their  true  meaning. 
Ninety  per  cent,  of  monotheists  all  over 
the  world  say:  ''God  is  infinite  and  one," 
but  at  the  same  time  they  think  of  some 
being  with  a  human  form  sitting  somewhere 

outside   of   the   universe.     If   we   ask   them 
41 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

the  meaning  of  the  word  "infinite,"  their 
answers  are  often  full  of  illogical  nonsense. 
They  will  make  God  as  finite  as  possible 
and  bring  forward  all  sorts  of  fallacious 
arguments  to  support  their  position. 

Those  who  believe  in  a  personal  God, 
give  Him  a  human  form,  human  attributes 
and  a  human  personality  without  realizing 
that  they  are  making  their  Lord  Hmited  in 
power,  personality  and  attributes.  Of  course 
it  is  not  their  fault;  it  is  quite  natural  that 
they  should  think  of  the  Ruler  of  the  uni- 
verse as  a  human  being,  because  we  are  aU 
human  and  the  Hmit  of  our  conception  is  a 
human  being.  Our  world  is  a  human  world, 
our  God  must  be  a  human  God,  and  our  ex- 
planation of  the  universe  must  also  be  human. 
Having  seen  the  governor  of  a  country,  who 
is  a  human  being  with  certain  powers,  we 
form  a  concept  and  keep  it  in  our  minds 
when  we  conceive  the  Supreme  Being  as  the 
governor  of  the  universe.     Naturally  we  give 

Him  a  human  form  and  a  human  personality, 
42 


Attributes  of  God. 

only  with  this  difference — that  the  governor 
of  the  country  is  hmited  in  power,  size,  and 
quaHfications,  while  the  Ruler  of  the  universe 
is  unlimited  in  power  and  immensely  magni- 
fied in  size  and  qualifications;  yet  however 
great  He  may  be,  He  must  still  appear  more 
or  less  like  a  human  being.  In  this  way  our 
explanation  of  the  universe  has  become 
hmnan,  and  our  God  has  acquired  a  human 
form  and  personahty.  If  a  cow  became  a 
philosopher  and  had  a  reHgion,  her  concep- 
tion of  God  would  be  in  cow  form,  her  ex- 
planation of  the  universe  would  be  through 
that  cow  God.  She  would  not  be  able  to 
comprehend  our  Lord  at  all.  Similarly  if 
a  tiger  had  a  God,  his  conception  would  be 
of  a  tiger  form.  If  there  be  a  being  with  a 
form  different  from  ours,  with  a  nature  higher 
than  ours,  his  God  will  be  like  himself.  As 
we  do  not  know  what  conception  of  God 
the  people  of  Mars  have,  we  cannot  know 
their  God;  if  they  are  not  like  human  beings, 

their  conception   will  differ  from  ours.     So 
43 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

none  of  these  pictures  of  God  and  none  ot 
these  explanations  of  the  universe  can  be 
complete  in  itself.  It  may  be  a  partial  truth, 
but  not  the  whole  truth.  Therefore  all 
those  conceptions  of  God  which  we  so  often 
hear — that  He  is  like  a  human  being  sitting 
on  a  throne  outside  the  universe  and  from 
there  governing  the  universe  by  His  powers, 
are  incomplete  and  imperfect. 

But  ordinary  people  do  not  see  this.  Each 
is  sure  that  his  conception  and  explanation 
are  the  best.  They  cannot  realize  how  there 
can  be  anything  higher  or  greater  than  what 
they  already  believe.  Yet  when  they  are 
asked,  what  are  the  attributes  of  such  a 
human  God,  they  will  say:  "He  is  a  spirit, 
infinite,  eternal,  unchangeable,  true  and  one; 
He  is  the  omniscient  and  omnipotent  creator 
and  the  repository  of  all  blessed  qualities." 
Thus  they  unconsciously  make  God  finite 
and  infinite  at  the  same  time.  Can  there 
be  anything  more  absurd  and  self-contra- 
dictory than  a  finite  infinite  God!  If  He 
44 


Attributes  of  God. 

is  finite,  He  is  limited  by  time,  space  and 
causation,  must  have  a  beginning  and  end, 
and  cannot  be  unchangeable.  A  finite  God 
must  be  changeable  and  must  perish  like  all 
mortal  things.  Are  we  ready  to  beheve  in 
such  a  perishable  God?  Not  for  a  moment. 
We  cannot  give  any  form  to  God  because 
form  means  limitation  in  space  by  time. 
By  giving  a  form  to  God,  we  make  Him 
subject  to  time,  space  and  the  law  of  causa- 
tion, consequently  we  make  Him  mortal 
like  any  other  object  of  the  phenomenal 
universe  which  has  form.  God  with  a  form 
cannot  be  immortal  and  eternal,  He  must  die. 
Therefore  we  cannot  say  that  God  is  finite 
or  that  He  has  any  form. 

He  is  infinite.  But  let  us  have  a  clear 
understanding  of  the  meaning  of  this  word 
*' infinite,"  and  use  it  in  its  proper  sense. 
That  which  is  not  limited  by  time  and  space 
and  not  subject  to  the  law  of  causation,  which 
is  above  time,   space,   and   beyond  all  laws 

is  infinite.     God  is  not  limited  by  time  or 
45 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

space,  neither  has  He  any  cause.  He  is 
absolute.  The  infinite  again  must  be  one, 
otherwise  it  is  finite.  If  there  be  any  other 
thing  beside  that  infinite  then  it  is  no  longer 
infinite;  it  is  Hmited  by  that  object,  conse- 
quently it  has  become  finite.  Thus  if  we 
admit  that  God  is  infinite,  we  deny  the  exist- 
ence of  any  other  thing  besides  God;  other- 
wise He  would  be  limited  by  that  thing,  and 
be  subject  to  time,  space  and  the  law  of  causa- 
tion. 

If  we  say  that  matter  exists  separate  from 
and  outside  of  God,  we  have  made  Him 
limited  by  matter,  we  have  made  Him 
finite  and  perishable.  If  we  think  of  our- 
selves as  separate  from  God,  as  independent 
of  His  Being,  then  in  our  thought  we  have 
denied  His  illimitable  nature.  There  is  for 
the  same  reason,  not  a  single  particle  of  matter 
in  the  universe  that  can  exist  independent 
of  God's  existence  or  outside  of  God;  if  He 
is   infinite   and   one,    our   bodies   and   every 

thing  of  the  universe  from  the  minutest  atom 
46 


Attributes  of"  God. 

to  the  largest  planetary  system,  from  the 
lowest  animalcule  to  the  highest  Being, 
exists  in  and  through  that  Infinite  Existence. 
This  may  be  startHng  to  many,  but  the  fact 
cannot  be  denied.  If  we  wish  to  be  logical, 
if  the  word  "infinite"  conveys  any  meaning 
at  all,  we  cannot  avoid  the  logical  conclusion 
which  must  inevitably  follow.  If,  on  the  con- 
trary, we  use  the  word  "infinite"  meaning 
something  finite,  how  foolish  and  illogical 
shall  we  be!  The  conclusion  is  this:  If 
God  is  infinite  and  one,  then  mind  and  mat- 
ter, subject  and  object,  creator  and  creation, 
and  all  relative  dual  existences  are  within 
that  Being,  and  not  outside  of  it.  The  whole 
universe  is  in  God  and  God  is  in  it;  it  is 
inseparable  from  God.  I  am  in  Him  and 
He  is  in  me;  each  one  of  us  is  inseparable 
from  His  being;  if  one  atom  of  my  body 
exists,  that  existence  cannot  be  separated 
from  His  existence. 

We  have  now  understood  the  meaning  of 

the  two  attributes  infinite  and  one.     Let  us 
47 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

examine  the  meaning  of  other  attributes. 
God  is  unchangeable,  that  is,  He  is  always 
the  same  and  never  subject  to  any  change 
whatsoever,  because  He  is  eternal,  without 
beginning  or  end,.  That  which  has  a  be- 
ginning must  have  an  end  and  go  through 
all  the  changes  of  birth,  growth,  decay  and 
death;  everything  that  has  a  beginning  must 
grow,  decay  and  die.  That  which  is  limited 
by  time  and  space  must  go  through  all  these 
changes,  which,  on  the  contrary,  never  aflFect 
the  infinite  Being. 

God  is  a  spirit.  What  is  to  be  understood 
by  spirit?  It  does  not  mean  a  shadowy  form 
or  an  apparition.  By  this  term  is  meant 
pure,  self-luminous  intelligence,  the  source 
of  all  consciousness,  the  basis  and  foundation 
of  all  knowledge,  the  background  of  mind 
and  matter,  of  subject  and  object.  Again 
He  is  true.  That  which  is  not  God  is  untrue 
or  unreal;  or,  in  other  words,  that  which 
is    finite,    manifold,   changeable,  non-eternal, 

transitory,    is   untrue    and   unreal.     Further- 
48 


Attributes  of  God. 

more,  God  is  omnipresent  and  omniscient, 
and  upon  Him  depends  the  existence  of  mind 
and  matter,  of  subject  and  object.  Let  us 
understand  this  a  little  more  clearly.  What- 
ever exists  in  the  universe,  whether  mental 
or  physical,  subjective  or  objective,  can 
exist  only  as  related  to  a  self-conscious  intelli- 
gence. When  we  analyze  our  perceptions, 
we  find  that  that  which  is  not  related  to  any 
state  of  our  consciousness  does  not  exist  in 
relation  to  us,  because  we  do  not  know  any- 
thing about  it.  Existence  and  knowledge 
or  consciousness  are  inseparable. 

As  our  small  worlds  of  which  we  are  con- 
scious, exist  in  relation  to  our  conscious 
being,  so  the  phenomenal  universe  can  only 
exist  as  being  related  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
cosmic  knower  or  the  universal  Being;  other- 
wise there  cannot  be  any  existence,  because 
existence  and  knowledge,  existence  and  con- 
sciousness are  inseparable;  therefore  God  is 
called  omniscient  or  all-knowing.  Nothing 
exists  without  being   related   directly  to   the 

49 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

intelligence  and  knowledge  of  the  infinite 
Being.  As  this  infinite  Being  pervades  the 
universe  and  interpenetrates  every  particle 
of  matter,  giving  existence  to  everything, 
so  the  light  of  His  knowledge  pervades  the 
universe;  therefore  He  is  omnipresent  and 
omniscient.  If  these  various  conceptions, 
obtained  by  analyzing  the  attributes  of  God, 
be  summed  up,  we  shall  learn  that  God  is  the 
Absolute  Being,  eternal,  true  and  everlasting, 
the  one  infinite  ocean  of  self-existent,  self- 
luminous  intelligence  which  is  the  source 
of  all  consciousness.  Nothing  can  exist  out- 
side of  or  independent  of  that  one  omnipresent 
and  omniscient  Being  of  the  universe. 

Here  a  question  arises, — if  there  be  no 
other  being  beside  God,  what  will  become  of 
the  diverse  phenomena  of  the  universe,  which 
we  perceive  with  our  senses?  Do  they  not 
exist?  Yes,  they  do,  but  their  existence 
depends  upon  God.  They  have  no  separate 
and    independent    existence;     they    are    like 

froth,  bubbles  and  waves  on  that  infinite  ocean 
50 


Attributes  of  God. 

of  intelligence.  As  a  wave  cannot  exist  for 
a  moment  independent  of  the  ocean,  so  the 
phenomena  of  the  world  depend  for  their 
existence  upon  the  Absolute  Being. 

This  ocean  of  pure  self-luminous  intelli- 
gence and  existence  is  described  in  Vedanta 
by  the  word  BraJiman,  which  means  absolute 
existence  and  intelligence,  the  unlimited  source 
of  knowledge  and  of  consciousness;  while 
the  power  which  produces  these  waves  of 
phenomena  is  called  Maya.  This  inscruta- 
ble power  of  Maya  dwells  in  the  infinite  ocean 
of  ReaHty  or  Brahman  from  eternity  to  eter- 
nity. It  is  as  inseparable  from  the  Divine 
Being  as  the  power  of  burning  is  inseparable 
from  fire.  Sometimes  this  power  remains 
latent  as  undifferentiated  cosmic  energy  and 
sometimes  it  manifests  itself  as  the  various 
forces  of  nature.  When  that  pow^r  is  latent, 
all  phenomena  disappear,  and  dissolution  or 
involution  takes  place;  but  when  it  begins 
to  express  itself  as  natural  forces,  it  produces 

the  waves  and  bubbles  of  phenomena  in  the 
ol 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

ocean  of  Brahman.  Then  the  Absolute  Being 
seen  through  the  active  or  manifesting  power 
of  Maya  or  cosmic  energy,  appears  as  the 
creator  and  governor  of  the  universe. 

He  is  called  in  Sanskrit  "Iswara/'  which 
means  also  the  creator  and  ruler  of  the  uni- 
verse. He  is  the  first-born  lord,  or  the  cosmic 
ego.  This  cosmic  ego,  the  Iswara  or  lord, 
is  called  the  creator  of  the  universe.  Here 
let  us  understand  clearly  in  what  sense  God 
can  be  properly  called  the  creator  of  the  world. 
Does  He  create  it  out  of  nothing  as  described 
in  the  monotheistic  and  duaHstic  Scriptures 
of  the  Christians,  Jews,  Mahometans,  and 
Parsees?  No,  He  does  not  create  anything 
out  of  nothing;  He  is  not  the  creator  in  that 
sense.  In  the  first  place  we  must  not  forget 
the  truth,  discovered  and  established  by  ancient 
and  modern  science,  that  something  cannot 
come  out  of  nothing,  consequently  to  a  sci- 
entific mind  creation  out  of  nothing  has  no 
meaning.     The  theory  of  a  special  creation 

of  the  world  as  we  read  in  Genesis  has  been 
52 


Attributes  of  God. 

proved  to  be  an  unscientific  myth.  Secondly, 
the  doctrine  of  evolution  is  now  so  unques- 
tionably established  that  we  can  safely  accept 
it  in  the  place  of  the  mythical  story  of  special 
creation.  Therefore  when  we  speak  of  God 
as  the  creator  of  the  universe,  we  do  not  mean 
one  who  brought  the  world  into  existence  out 
of  nothing  as  our  forefathers  understood  by 
this  expression;  but  applying  the  Hght  of 
science  and  being  guided  by  the  reasoning  of 
the  Vedanta  philosophy,  we  must  understand 
that  Iswara  is  called  the  creator  because  He 
projects  out  of  His  own  being  the  powers 
existing  there  potentially  and  makes  them 
active.  Thus  the  word  creator  means  the 
projector  of  all  forces  and  of  all  phenomenal 
forms  which  potentially  existed  as  eternal 
energy  in  Iswara.  That  projection  from 
the  potential  into  the  kinetic  or  active  state 
takes  place  gradually  through  the  process  of 
the  evolution  of  the  Maya  or  the  cosmic  energy 
which  dwells  in  the  Iswara  of  Vedanta.  Ve- 
danta teaches  that  although  Brahman  or  the 
53 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

Absolute  Being  or  Godhead  is  above  all 
activity,  still  the  Iswara  is  full  of  power  and 
action.  He  starts  the  evolution  of  the  cosmic 
energy  which  before  the  beginning  of  the 
cycHc  evolution  held  all  phenomenal  names 
and  forms  in  its  bosom.  Iswara,  according 
to  Vedanta,  is  both  the  material  and  the  effi- 
cient cause  of  the  universe.  He  does  not 
create  matter,  but  matter  is  only  a  certain 
state  or  mode  of  motion  of  the  universal  Divine 
energy.  When  the  dormant  power  of  Maya 
begins  to  manifest,  all  material  forms  com- 
mence to  appear. 

The  next  attribute  of  Iswara  is  that  of 
ruler  or  governor  of  the  universe.  How 
does  He  govern?  Does  He  govern  the  world 
from  outside,  as  it  is  said  in  the  Christian 
Scriptures  ?  No,  He  governs  from  within  and 
never  from  without.  He  is  the  Anlar-ydmiftj 
the  internal  ruler  of  the  universe.  As  the 
soul  is  the  internal  ruler  of  the  body,  so  Iswara, 
being   the   soul   of   the   universe,   governs   it 

from  within  and  not  from  outside. 
54 


Attributes  of  God. 

He  is  the  repository  of  all  blessed  qualities, 
that  isj  all  that  is  good,  all  that  is  great,  all 
that  is  subhme,  is  but  the  expression  of  the 
Divine  power.  But  God  Himself  is  above 
good  and  evil,  beyond  virtue  and  vice,  above 
all  relativity  and  beyond  all  conditions.  He 
loves  all  beings  equally  and  impartially;  He 
does  not  love  one  nation  for  certain  qualifica- 
tions and  hate  other  nations,  but  He  loves 
every  Hving  soul,  whether  human  or  animal, 
equally.  Just  as  the  sun  shines  alike  upon 
the  heads  of  sages  and  sinners,  so  the  love 
of  that  Divine  Being  touches  the  souls  of  all. 
Why  does  He  love  all  beings  equally?  Be- 
cause each  individual  soul  is  related  to  God 
as  a  part  is  related  to  the  whole.  As  a  part 
cannot  exist  independently,  so  our  souls  can- 
not exist  independent  of  the  Soul  of  the  uni- 
verse. Therefore  we  live  and  move  and  exist 
in  and  through  the  whole,  or  Iswara.  God 
loves  His  parts  because  He  cannot  help  it. 
How  can  it  be  otherwise?    How  is  it  possible 

for  a  whole  not  to  love  its  own  parts?    Love 
55 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

means   the  expression  of    oneness.      At    the 

bottom  of  all  earthly  love  exists  this  idea  of 

oneness;  the  lover  and  the  beloved  must  be 

one,  one  in  spirit,  in  thoughts,   in  ideas,   in 

everything,  otherwise    there   is   no    real  love. 

Therefore  God  is  all-loving.     Thus  if  we  try 

with    the    aid    of    the    hght    of   science    and 

reason   to   understand   the    true    significance 

of   the    attributes   of    God,  we    are    forcibly 

driven  to  the  conclusions  of  Vedanta.     With 

the  help  of  Vedanta  we  can  realize  the  true 

relation  which  the    universe    bears    to  God, 

which  the  individual  soul  bears  to  the  infinite 

Being. 

If  we  once  understand  that  God  is  the  source 

of  all   existence   and  power  and  is  the  one 

Reahty,  that  outside  of  God  no  existence  is 

possible,  then  we  begin  to  feel  the  presence 

of  divinity  everywhere.     In   every  action   of 

our  lives  we  realize  that  the  divine  power  is 

working  through  us,  and  at  every  moment  of 

our    earthly    existence    we    feel    ourselves    to 

be  like  so  many  instruments  through  which 
56 


Attributes  of  God. 

the  Divine  will  is  manifesting  itself  and  doing 
whatever  He  ordains.  All  the  actions  of  our 
lives  are  then  turned  into  acts  of  worship  of 
the  Supreme  Deity.  Being  dead  to  selfish- 
ness, we  are  then  able  to  say  from  the  bottom 
of  our  hearts,  ''  O  Lord,  Thy  will,  not  mine, 
be  done." 

All  fear  then  vanishes,  all  sins  are  redeemed, 
and  the  individual  soul  becomes  free  from 
the  bondage  of  ignorance  and  selfishness. 
This  reahzation  leads  to  a  still  higher  and 
closer  union  with  the  Divine.  The  soul 
gradually  realizes  spiritual  oneness  with  the 
universal  Spirit  or  Brahman.  Thus  having 
attained  to  God-consciousness,  which  is  the 
highest  ideal  of  all  religions,  the  individual 
soul  becomes  like  Christ  and  declares  "I  and 

my  Father  are  one." 

57 


Has  God  any  Form? 


"  The  all-pervading,  omnipotent  and  formless  Spirit 
manifests  Him,self  in  various  forms  under  different 
names  to  fulfil  the  desires  of  His  worshippers.** — Vishnu 
Purana. 


Has  God  any  Form? 

Students  of  the  Old  Testament  are  fa- 
miliar with  the  fact  that  the  ancient  Israelites 
conceived  their  God  Elohim  or  Yahveh, 
the  Lord  God,  as  possessing  human  attributes 
and  a  human  form.  There  are  many  passages 
which  testify  that  God  walked  with  Adam 
and  Eve  and  spoke  to  them;  He  ate  and 
drank  with  the  elders  of  Israel;  and  the  Lord 
said  to  Moses:  "I  will  cover  thee  with  my 
hand  while  I  pass  by,  and  I  will  take  my  hand 
away  and  thou  shalt  see  my  back  parts;  but 
my  face  shalt  not  be  seen."  (Ex.  xxxiii,  22, 
23.)  Yahveh  was  the  Lord  of  the  House  of 
Israel.  He  was,  moreover,  not  only  the  God 
of  Abraham  and  of  Moses,  but  He  became 
the  Supreme  Being  and  the  only  God,  above 

all  gods.     Upon  this  conception  of  the  Supreme 
61 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

Being  with  a  human  form  and  human  per- 
sonaHty  have  been  built  the  structures  of  the 
two  great  monotheistic  or  duahstic  reUgions, 
Judaism  and  Christianity. 

The  same  Elohim  or  Yahveh,  the  Lord 
of  the  house  of  Israel,  the  God  of  Abraham, 
of  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and  of  Moses,  is  the  al- 
mighty Creator,  Ruler,  and  Father  in  heaven 
of  the  Jews  and  Christians  of  the  present  day. 
He  sits  on  a  throne  outside  the  universe,  hav- 
ing a  right  hand  and  a  left  hand,  and  accord- 
ing to  the  Christian  belief,  Jesus  sits  at  His 
right  hand.  Neither  Christ  nor  Moses  nor 
any  of  the  prophets  had  to  introduce  a  new 
God  among  the  Jews.  All  of  them  accepted 
and  worshipped  the  same  Elohim  or  Yahveh, 
who  was  at  first  only  the  tribal  god  of  the  house 
of  Israel.  Here  we  must  not  forget  the  original 
meaning  of  the  word  "Elohim,"  which,  al- 
though translated  into  EngHsh  in  the  Old 
Testament  as  God,  at  first  meant  "that  which 
is  feared"  and  was  sometimes  used  vaguely 

to    describe    unseen   powers    or    "objects    of 
62 


Has  God  any  Form  *? 

man's  fear"  or  superhuman  beings  not  prop- 
erly regarded  as  divine  in  their  nature.  It 
was  also  applied  to  a  disembodied  soul, 
which  was  conceived  as  the  image  of  the 
body  in  which  it  once  dwelt,  as,  for  example, 
we  read  in  First  Samuel  (ch.  ^S,  v.  13),  the 
witch  of  Endor  saw  ''Elohim  ascending  out 
of  the  earth,"  meaning  thereby  some  being 
or  disembodied  spirit  of  an  unearthly,  super- 
human character. 

This  word  "Elohim"  was  the  plural  form 
of  "Eloah"  and  was  also  used  to  denote  the 
gods  of  the  heathen.  It  was  a  generic  name 
given  to  supernatural  characters  of  all  kinds 
having  quasicorporeal  forms,  as  well  as  to 
the  gods  of  different  tribes.  Chemosh,  Dagon, 
Baal,  Yahveh  were  all  known  as  Elohim  and 
each  of  them  had  a  human  form.  But  in 
spite  of  its  plural  meaning  the  Hebrew  prophets 
used  it  especially  for  Yahveh  the  God  of  Israel. 
The  Israelites,  however,  believed  Yahveh  to 
be  immeasurably  superior  to  the  Elohim  of 

other   tribes;   while   the    inscription    on    the 
63 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

Moabite  stone  shows  that  King  Mesa  held 
Chemosh  to  be  as  unquestionably  the  superior 
of  Yahveh.  It  is  said:  ''So  now  Yahveh 
the  Elohim  of  Israel  hath  dispossessed  the 
Amorites  from  before  His  people  Israel,  and 
shouldst  thou  possess  it?  Wilt  not  thou  pos- 
sess that  which  Chemosh  thy  Elohim  giveth 
thee  to  possess?"  (Judges  xi,  23,  24.)  The 
Israelites  of  those  days  considered  the  differ- 
ence between  one  Elohim  and  another  to  be  one 
of  degree  and  not  of  kind.  The  same  word 
was  likewise  applied  to  Teraphim,  the  images 
of  family  gods  which  were  only  deceased  ances- 
tors. Laban  asks  his  son-in-law  most  indig- 
nantly, "Wherefore  hast  thou  stolen  my 
Elohim?" 

From  a  careful  study  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment we  see  that,  although  the  IsraeHtes 
beheved  in  many  kinds  of  Elohim  and  used 
the  word  indiscriminately,  Yahveh  was  the 
God  of  their  tribe,  while  other  tribes  had 
Elohim   of  their  own.     When  the  house   of 

Israel  conquered  any  other  tribe,  their  tribal 
64 


Has  God  any  Form  ? 

God  Yahveh  stood  at  the  head  of  the  gods  of 
the  conquered  tribe,  as  we  know  from  history. 
When  the  Babylonians  and  Chaldeans  were 
conquered  by  the  Israehtes,  Yahveh  was 
placed  above  Bel,  Baal,  Merodoch,  Moloch, 
and  the  other  Elohim  or  gods  of  the  conquered 
tribes.  Thus  by  the  gradual  process  of  evolu- 
tion Elohim  or  Yahveh  became  the  king  or 
Lord  of  all  gods.  We  can  now  easily  under- 
stand what  the  Hebrew  Psalmist  meant  when 
he  said:  ''Among  the  gods  there  is  none  hke 
unto  thee,  the  king  above  all  gods."  But 
although  Yahveh  became  the  supreme  Lord 
of  all  gods,  hence  of  all  tribes  and  nations,  he 
still  did  not  lose  his  human  form,  human  attri- 
butes and  human  personahty.  Even  when 
he  became  the  creator  and  ruler  of  the  universe, 
he  had  the  same  human  form,  the  same  attri- 
butes and  personahty  as  were  ascribed  to 
him  by  the  ancient  Israelites.  A  belief  in 
many  gods  was  at  the  foundation  of  the  Jud 
conception  of  one  Supreme  Being,  and   i.. 

veh,    the    tribal    god    originally    worshippe 
65 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

under  the  form  of  a  bull,  gradually  evolved 
into  "god  of  gods"  and  finally  into  the  one 
and  only  God  of  the  universe. 

In  like  manner  it  can  be  shown  that  among 
the  ancient  Greeks  and  other  Aryan  nations 
the  idea  of  a  personal  God  with  a  human 
form  gradually  developed  from  a  beHef  in 
many  tribal  gods  or  nature  gods.  All  mono- 
theistic conceptions  can  be  traced  back  to 
polytheistic  beHefs.  The  ancient  Greeks,  Hke 
all  other  primitive  peoples,  worshipped  many 
nature  gods.  They  perceived  the  forces  of 
nature  and  gave  to  them  human  powers  and 
attributes.  We  know  that  Zeus,  Apollo,  Athene 
were  all  personified  powers  of  nature.  Zeus 
originally  meant  sky,  hence  god  of  the  sky, 
the  god  of  rain  or  rainer.  The  old  prayer 
of  the  Athenians  was  "Rain,  rain,  O  dear 
Zeus,  on  the  land  of  the  Athenians  and  on 
the  fields."  Here  "O  dear  Zeus"  or  dear 
sky  at  once  brings  in  the  personal  element. 
"Dear   sky"    refers  to  the   god   of  the  sky, 

the  governor  of  rain.     Apollo  again  was  the 
66 


Has  God  any  Form  ? 

sun  god;  Athene,  the  dawn-goddess.  Each 
of  these  mythological  deities  was,  further- 
more, originally  the  god  of  some  family  or 
clan,  and  afterward  when  one  family  became 
stronger  than  others,  its  family  god  stood  at 
the  head  of  the  other  gods;  thus  in  course  of 
time  the  ancient  God  Zeus-pitar  or  in  Latin 
Jupiter,  meaning  in  English  Father  in  heaven, 
became  the  God  of  all  gods  and  was  supposed 
to  be  the  God  of  all  nations. 

So  it  was  in  ancient  India  during  the  Vedic 
period.  The  Vedic  poets  at  first  personified 
the  forces  of  nature  and  gave  them  human 
attributes  and  intelHgence.  They  were  called 
in  Sanskrit  *'Devas"  or  ''Bright  Ones," 
such  as  Indra  the  rainer  or  thunderer,  Agni 
the  god  of  fire,  Vayu  the  god  of  storm  or 
wind,  Varuna  the  god  of  the  sky,  and  so  on. 
Eventually  Varuna,  lord  of  the  sky,  became 
Deva  Deva,  the  God  of  all  gods,  and  thus 
gradually  arose  in  India  the  monotheistic 
conception    of    the    Supreme    personal    God 

with  human  attributes.     It  can  in  the  same 
67 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

way  be  shown  that  the  tribal  gods  among  the 
Semitic  tribes  were  at  first  nothing  but  nature 
gods. 

It  may  be  asked  here :  Why  were  the  forces 
of  nature  personified?  Because  primitive 
man  could  not  help  it.  Wherever  he  saw 
any  activity  or  motion,  he  compared  it  to 
the  conscious  activity  of  his  own  body  or  to 
the  voluntary  movements  of  his  Umbs,  and 
explained  this  natural  activity  by  imagining 
it  to  be  the  conscious  act  of  some  superhuman 
being,  possessing  will-power  and  intelligence, 
and  who  was  called  the  mover.  From  this 
we  can  easily  understand  the  reason  for  the 
ancient  beHef  that  all  material  objects  like 
the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  were  moved  by 
angels.  Now  we  say  "it  rains"  or  "it  thun- 
ders," but  the  primitive  man  used  to  say  "he 
rains,"  "he  thunders."  In  this  manner  the 
unscientific  minds  of  ancient  times  came  to 
a  belief  in  natural  agencies.  These  agents 
were  like  human  beings,  only  more  powerful 

than  any  mortal  agent.     Hence  was  developed 

68 


Has  God  any  Form  ? 

the  idea  of  superhuman  beings  who  became 
tribal  gods,  who  were  invoked  in  time  of  need. 
The  Lord  of  the  universe  and  the  king  above 
all  gods  w^as  necessarily  infinitely  more  power- 
ful than  these  superhuman  agents  of  nature, 
but  still  he  had  a  human  form  infinitely  mag- 
nified in  size,  because  it  is  extremely  difficult 
for  the  human  mind  to  go  beyond  the  idea 
of  a  human  God. 

From  ancient  times,  however,  strong  pro- 
tests have  been  made  by  great  thinkers  against 
this  human  idea  of  God  with  human  form 
and  human  attributes;  but  again  and  again 
these  objections  have  been  brushed  aside  by 
the  vast  majority  of  people.  Xenophanes, 
the  Greek  philosopher,  about  the  sixth  cen- 
tury before  Christ  tried  to  overthrow  this 
anthropomorphic  conception  of  God.  He 
said:  ''The  Godhead  is  all  eyes,  all  ears,  all 
understanding,  unmoved,  undi\dded,  calmly 
ruling  everything  by  his  thought,  Hke  men 
neither  in  form  nor  in  understanding."     The 

early  Christians  who  were  brought  up  in  the 
69 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

schools  of  Plato  and  Aristotle  also  deprecated 

the   idea   of  a   human    God.     To   them   the 

Supreme  Being  was  no  longer  simply  Elohim 

or  Yahveh,  the  Lord  of  the  house  of  Israel; 

not  merely  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and 

Jacob,  the  God  who  walked  in  the  garden  of 

Eden  in  the  cool  of  the  day  and  ate  and  drank; 

He  was  no  longer  even  the  God  "who  maketh 

the  clouds  His  chariot,  who  walketh  upon  the 

wings  of  the  wind,"  but  a  Supreme  Being  who 

was  infinite,   indescribable,   unutterable,  and 

whose  form  could  not  be  seen  with  fleshly 

eyes,  whose  voice    could   not  be  heard  with 

mortal  ear,  whose  size  was  incomprehensible. 

Clement  of  Alexandria  says:    "There   is   no 

name  that  can  properly  be  named  of  Him; 

neither  the  one,  nor  the  good,  nor  mind,  nor 

absolute  being,  nor  Father,  nor  creator,  nor 

Lord  can  be  the  appropriate  name  for  Him." 

And    Cardinal    Newman    declares:  "God    is 

incommunicable  in  all  His  attributes.'* 

Not  very  long  ago  the  Bishop  of  London 

also  protested  against  the  human  God,  say- 
70 


Has  God  any  Form  ? 

ing:  "There  is  a  sense  in  which  we  cannot 
ascribe  personality  to  the  unknown,  absolute 
Being;  for  our  sense  of  personahty  is  of  neces- 
sity compassed  with  limitations,  and  from 
these  limitations  we  find  it  impossible  to 
separate  our  conception  of  a  person."  When, 
indeed,  we  speak  of  human  personaHty,  we 
include  not  only  age,  but  sex,  character, 
outward  appearance,  the  expression  of  the 
face  and  so  on. 

Those  who  believe  in  a  personal  God  with 
a  human  form  and  human  attributes  do  not 
consider  these  limitations.  They  do  not  think 
for  a  moment:  How  is  it  possible  for  the 
infinite  eternal  Being  to  be  confined  within 
the  limits  of  a  human  form,  however  magnified 
it  may  be?  How  is  it  possible  for  the  Abso- 
lute Being  to  come  under  the  hmitations  of 
time  and  space?  Physical  form  is  nothing 
but  limitation  in  space  and  time  and  if  the 
eternal  and  infinite  God  be  above  time  and 
space,  how  can  He  have  a  physical  form? 

Yet  most  of  the  dualistic  religions  teach  that 
71 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

God  has  a  form,  and  ask  us  to  believe  in  it 
and  to  worship  Him  as  one  with  form.  How 
are  we  going  to  reconcile  this  self- contradic- 
tory statement  that  God  is  the  infinite,  eternal 
Being  with  a  finite  form?  We  do  not  find 
any  solution  of  the  difficulty  in  any  of  the 
Scriptures  of  the  three  great  Semitic  religions — 
Judaism,  Christianity  and  Mahometanism. 
Of  these  Christianity  conceives  God  under  a 
triune  form,  while  Judaism  and  Mahometan- 
ism insist  on  the  absolute  unity  of  the  Supreme 
Being.  Where  is  then  the  solution  of  the 
problem?  If  God  be  infinite  and  all-pervad- 
ing, how  can  He  have  form? 

The  duaUsts  or  monotheists  beheve  in  the 
Supreme  Being  with  a  human  form,  but 
they  say  that  that  form  is  not  material  or 
physical  but  spiritual.  It  cannot  be  seen 
by  the  physical  eye,  but  it  can  be  seen  by 
the  spiritual  eye  of  an  enhghtened  soul. 
According  to  the  dualistic  system  of  religion 
in   India,    the    infinite,    eternal,    unknowable 

Being  or  substance  of  the  universe,  which  is 
72 


Has  God  any  Form? 

called  in  Sanskrit  Brahman^  is  the  source   of 

all    powers    and    all    forms.     Although    it    is 

formless  Hke  the  infinite  ocean  of  reality  or 

of  absolute  existence,   intelhgence  and  bhss, 

it  nevertheless  contains  in  a  potential  state 

all  the  forms  of  the  waves  that  can  arise  in 

that  eternal  ocean.     The  water  of  the  ocean 

has  no  particular  form  or  shape;  we  can  say 

that  it  is  formless  in  one  sense,  but  at  the 

same  time  it  can  take  any  form  when  frozen 

into  ice.     A  block  of  ice,   for  instance,  can 

appear  in  the  form  of  a  triangle,  a  sphere,  a 

circle,   an  animal  or  a   human   being.     The 

same    water    without    losing    its    nature    can 

appear  in  a  sohdified  form;  and  as  in  this 

case  we   are  justified  in   saying  that  water, 

although    formless,    contains    in    a    potential 

state   all   imaginable   forms   within   itself,   so 

the  water  of  the  ocean  of  that  absolute  ReaHty 

possesses  in  a  potential  state  all  the  physical, 

material,  mental  and  spiritual  forms  that  ever 

existed,  or  ever  will  exist  in  future. 

The  infinite,  eternal  Brahman  does,  indeed; 
73 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

appear  and  manifest  itself  with  a  spiritual 
form,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  desire  of  the 
devotee  or  worshipper.  Wherever  there  is 
intense  longing  to  see  God,  wherever  there  is 
unflinching  devotion  and  unselfish  love  with 
the  whole  heart  and  soul,  there  is  the  mani- 
festation of  the  formless  One  to  fulfil  the 
desire  of  the  devotee.  It  is  then  that  the 
invisible  Brahman,  or  the  Supreme  Being, 
or  the  ReaUty,  manifests  itself  and  becomes 
visible  to  the  spiritual  eye  of  the  worshipper. 
Intense  longing,  unswerving  devotion  and 
whole-hearted  love  of  the  soul  draw  out  from 
the  infinite  source  any  particular  form  which 
the  devotee  wishes  to  see  and  worship;  they 
have  the  power,  as  it  were,  to  condense  and 
soHdify  the  water  of  the  ocean  of  Reality 
into  the  various  forms.  The  spiritual  form 
of  the  Divinity  rises  in  the  ocean  of  formless 
Brahman  or  of  the  absolute  Godhead,  floats 
there  for  some  time,  and  after  satisfying  the 
desires   of   the   true   Bhakta   or   worshipper, 

merges  into  that  ocean  again. 
74 


Has  God  any  Form  ? 

These  forms  vary  in  accordance  with  the  ideal 
of  the  worshipper.  If  a  worshipper  has  a  long- 
ing to  see  God  in  the  form  to  which  he  is  de- 
voted, of  Jehovah  or  of  Christ  for  instance,  he 
must  draw  that  out  of  the  infinite  ocean.  The 
Divinity  will  appear  in  that  form  to  satisfy 
the  desire  of  that  devotee.  If  he  be  devoted 
to  the  form  of  Buddha,  or  Krishna,  or  R^ma- 
krishna,  or  any  other  human  or  imaginary  form, 
he  will  see  such  an  one  with  his  spiritual  eye 
through  intense  longing  and  love.  The  per- 
sonal God  with  a  spiritual  form  is  the  objecti- 
fication,  projection,  manifestation  of  the  im- 
personal ocean  of  Divinity.  The  highest  of  all 
such  manifestations  is  the  Iswara  of  Vedanta. 
He  is  worshipped  under  various  names  as 
Vishnu,  Jehovah,  Shiva,  Father  in  heaven,  or 
Allah.  As  all-pervading  heat  is  imperceptible 
but  becomes  perceptible  through  friction,  so 
wherever  there  is  the  intense  friction  of  devo- 
tion and  love  in  the  soul  of  the  worshipper, 
there    is    the    manifestation    of   that    infinite 

Being  either  in  human  or  superhuman  form. 
75 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

There  have  been  many  such  instances  where 
the  absolute  omnipresent  Being  manifested 
itself  in  various  forms  among  all  nations  and 
in  all  countries. 

In  ancient  times  there  lived  a  boy  saint 
who  was  the  son  of  a  ruling  monarch.  His 
name  was  Prahlada.  His  father  was  abso- 
lutely materialistic  and  atheistic  in  his  belief, 
and  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  a  ruler  greater 
and  more  powerful  than  himself.  He  be- 
lieved in  no  other  ruler  of  the  world  and  through 
vanity  and  egotism  thought  that  he  was  the  lord 
of  all.  His  son  Prahlada,  however,  was  a 
born  saint.  From  his  childhood  his  heart 
and  soul  were  filled  with  extreme  faith,  devo- 
tion and  love  for  the  almighty  Ruler  and  Lord 
of  the  universe.  He  cared  nothing  for  the 
world  and  found  no  pleasure  in  the  luxuries 
and  comforts  of  a  princely  life.  They  did  not 
attract  his  mind.  He  always  preferred  to 
stay  alone  and  had  a  tendency  to  renounce 
everything.     So     deeply     absorbed    was     his 

mind  in  his  Divine  Ideal  that  he  could  not 
76 


Has  God  any  Form  ? 

listen  to  other  things,  and  it  was  impossible 
for  him  to  obey  the  commands  of  his  godless 
father.  The  king  grew  angr}^  at  his  behavior, 
and  one  day,  caUing  the  prince  to  him,  he  asked 
him  the  reason  of  his  disobedience.  He 
inquired  under  whose  instigation  he  was 
behaving  in  that  way  and  acting  rebeUiously 
against  him  who  was  the  lord  of  all.  The  boy 
saint  repHed:  ''The  ruler  of  the  universe, 
the  lord  of  all  nations,  who  is  greater  and 
more  powerful  than  your  majesty,  has  cap- 
tured my  heart  and  soul  and  has  inspired  me 
to  behave  in  this  way."  At  this  reply  the 
king,  furious  with  rage  and  anger,  w^as  ready 
to  punish  his  son  by  killing  him  instantly. 
Drawing  his  sword,  he  cried:  "How  dost  thou 
dare  to  say  that  thou  hast  a  lord  more  powerful 
or  stronger  than  I  ?  Where  is  thy  lord  ?  Show 
him  to  me!"  The  boy  answered:  "He  is 
everywhere."  The  king  demanded,  "Is  he 
in  that  pillar?"  Prahlada,  praying  to  his 
Divine  Ideal  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart  and 

soul  and  with  firm  faith,  rejoined:  "Yes,  He 
77 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

is  there  in  that  pillar."  The  king  answered: 
''Now  ask  thy  lord  to  save  thee  from  being 
beheaded."  Thus  saying,  he  struck  the  pillar 
with  a  giant's  might  and  knocked  it  down. 
In  the  midst  of  the  thundering  noise  of  the 
crash  appeared  the  divine  figure,  radiant 
with  celestial  glory,  to  protect  the  devotee 
of  the  Almighty  Lord.  The  eyes  of  the 
wicked  monarch  were  dazzled  by  the  extraor- 
dinary brightness  and  celestial  lustre  of 
the  divine  form,  but  he  could  not  bear  the 
sight  of  another  lord  beside  himself.  He 
attacked  the  Divine  manifestation  and  in  his 
attempt  to  conquer  the  Supreme  Ruler  he 
fell  breathless  on  the  spot.  Such  was  the 
power  of  true  faith.  Can  any  one  question 
the  power  of  true  faith  when  Jesus  said:  ''for 
verily  I  say  unto  you,  if  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain 
of  mustard  seed,  ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain 
*  remove  hence  from  yonder  place,'  it  shall 
remove;  and  nothing  shall  be  impossible  to 
you."     (Matt,  xvii,  20.)     That  faith  brought 

out  the  manifestation  of  the  omnipresent  Lord 
78 


Has  God  any  Form  ? 

from  the  pillar.  At  the  sight  of  this  wonderful 
Divine  power  and  glory  of  the  Almighty  the 
soul  of  the  boy  saint  was  filled  with  unbounded 
joy  and  ecstatic  happiness.  He  approached 
the  mighty  figure  with  awe,  reverence  and  de- 
votion, and  prostrating  himself  at  His  feet,  he 
poured  forth  all  prayers  before  Him  to  his 
heart's  content,  saying:  "O  Lord,  the  Al- 
mighty Ruler  of  the  universe.  Thou  art  indeed 
all-pervading  and  almighty.  Thy  power  is 
inscrutable.  To  save  Thy  child  from  immi- 
nent death,  to  fulfil  the  desire  of  Thy  true 
devotee  and  to  punish  this  vain  and  egotistical 
earthly  monarch.  Thou  hast  shown  Thy 
power  and  glory  to  all  by  making  this  Thy 
superhuman  manifestation.  What  words  are 
adequate  to  describe  Thy  majesty  and  Thy 
loving-kindness  ?  All  words  that  we  can  utter 
are  Thine!  I  am  Thy  child  and  Thy  servant; 
keep  me  in  Thy  service  forever  and  ever, 
O  Lord  and  Father  of  all  animate  and  inani- 
mate beings  of  the  universe." 

*'  O  Lord,  Thou  art  the  goal  of  all  religions, 
79 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

and  the  sustainer,  the  master,  the  witness,  the 
habitation,  the  refuge  and  the  friend  of  all 
living  creatures;  Thou  art  the  origin,  disso- 
lution, support,  end  and  the  inexhaustible  seed 
of  the  whole  manifested  universe.  Thou  art 
one,  yet  Thou  takest  many  forms  through 
Thy  unspeakable  power  of  Maya.  I  bow 
down  and  salute  Thee.  Whosoever  knows 
Thee  as  formless  and  with  form  knows  the 

eternal  Truth." 

80 


Fatherhood     and    Motherhood 
of  God. 


*'/  am  the  Father  and  Mother  of  the  universe." — Bha- 
gavad  Gita,  ix,  17. 

"  Why  does  the  God-lover  find  such  pleasure  in  address- 
ing the  Deity  as  Mother?  Because  the  child  is  more  free 
with  its  Mother,  and  consequently  she  is  dearer  to  the 
child  than  any  one  else." — Life  and  Sajdngs  of  R^ma- 
krishna,  by  F.  Max  MuUer,  p.  118. 


Fatherhood     and     Motherhood 
of  God. 

The  religious  history  of  the  world  shows 
that  the  conception  of  God  as  the  Father 
of  the  universe  first  arose  among  the  Aryan 
nations,  and  not  among  any  of  the  Semitic 
tribes.  It  was  in  ancient  India  that  the 
Aryans  first  worshipped  the  Supreme  Being 
by  addressing  Him  as  the  Father  in  Heaven. 
The  origin  of  the  English  word  ''father" 
can  be  traced  back  through  Latin  "Pater" 
and  Greek  *'Pitar"  to  Sanskrit  "Pitar" 
meaning  father.  The  Christians,  however, 
beheve  that  before  the  advent  of  Jesus  the 
Christ,  the  fatherhood  of  the  Almighty  Being 
was  unknown  to  the  world. 

Not  very  long  ago   the   famous  Rt.   Rev. 

Bishop  Potter  of  New  York  said  in  one  of  his 
83 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

lectures:  "Go  to  India,  to  Burma,  to  China, 
to  Greece;  or  to  Egypt  or  Rome  and  see  if 
anywhere  among  them  all  you  will  find  a 
religion  with  any  other  idea  of  man  than 
that  he  is  the  mere  creature  of  his  governor, 
his  Pharaoh,  his  Sultan,  his  Rajah,  his  pro- 
consul, or  by  whatever  name  you  choose  to 
call  it."  He  also  said:  "It  was  Christ  who 
brought  an  entirely  new  conception  of  the 
relation  of  God  to  men."  Such  statements, 
however,  are  neither  founded  upon  truth  nor 
supported  by  any  historical  evidence.  On 
the  contrary,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  in 
India,  from  prehistoric  times,  the  Hindu 
rehgion  has  given  to  man  a  position  much 
higher  than  the  Christian  conception  of  his 
relation  to  his  Maker.  The  ancient  Vedic 
sages  were  the  first  to  declare  before  the 
world  that  the  human  soul  is  not  only  the 
child  of  God  but  that  it  is  essentially  divine 
and  in  its  true  nature  is  one  with  the  Supreme 
Being. 

According    to    the    Hebrew    religion    the 
84 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

relation  of  God  to  man  was  like  that  of  an 
absolute  monarch  to  his  subject,  or  like  that 
of  a  master  to  his  slave;  while  the  reHgious 
history  of  the  ancient  Arysm  nations  testifies 
that  they  had  risen  to  a  much  higher  con- 
ception of  God  than  as  a  despotic  Ruler 
long  before  the  Christian  era.  The  Chris- 
tian missionaries  and  preachers  have  been 
trumpeting  before  the  world  for  several  cen- 
turies that  no  rehgion  outside  of  Christianity 
has  ever  inculcated  the  idea  of  the  Fatherhood 
of  God  and  that  it  was  Christ  alone  who 
brought  it  to  men  from  his  celestial  abode. 
Moreover,  they  are  especially  eager  to  impress 
upon  the  minds  of  their  co-religionists  that 
the  Hindus  in  particular  had  no  conception 
of  a  Heavenly  Father,  that  they  never  knew 
the  fatherly  relation  of  God  to  man.  But 
those  who  have  studied  carefully  the  history 
of  the  growth  of  Christianity  are  familiar  with 
the  fact  that  the  idea  of  the  Fatherhood  of 
God  did  not  originate  with  Jesus  the  Christ 

as   modern  Christians   beheve,  but  existed  in 
85 


Vedanta   Philosophy. 

the  religious  atmosphere  of  northern  Pales- 
tine from  the  second  century  B.C.  as  a  result 
of  the  Hellenic  influence  upon  Judaism  of 
the  worship  of  Jupiter.  Jesus  took  up  this 
grand  Aryan  idea  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God 
and  emphasized  it  in  his  teachings  more  strongly 
than  any  of  his  predecessors  had  done  in  Pal- 
estine.* It  was  Yahveh  that  Christ  worshipped 
as  his  Heavenly  Father,  it  was  Yahveh  to 
whom  he  prayed  as  the  Father  of  the  universe ; 
consequently,  those  who  follow  Christ  and 
his  teachings,  worship  their  God  through  the 
same  relation  as  was  established  by  their 
Master.  The  worship  of  God  is  impossible 
without  having  some  kind  of  relation  between 
the  worshipper  and  the  object  of  worship. 

The  relation  between  father  and  son  is 
much  higher  than  that  between  the  creator 
and  his  creatures  as  it  had  existed  in  Judaism. 
The  transition  from  the  Judaic  relation  be- 
tween God  and  man  to  that  of  father  and 
son  was  therefore  a  great  step   toward  the 

*Seep.  173:  Son  of  God, 
86 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

realization  of  the  spiritual  unity  of  the  indi- 
vidual soul  and  the  universal  Spirit.  It  was 
no  longer  an  external  relation  to  power  and 
strength,  but  had  become  a  kind  of  kinship, 
of  internal  blood  relation  such  as  exists  between 
an  earthly  father  and  his  son.  There  is  a  tie 
of  love  that  binds  a  son  to  his  father,  and 
such  a  tie  brings  the  individual  soul  nearer  to 
the  Creator  of  the  universe.  As  the  earthly 
father  of  an  individual  is  ordinarily  considered 
to  be  his  creator  because  of  his  begetting  him 
and  bringing  him  into  existence  out  of  an 
invisible  germ,  so  when  the  undeveloped  mind 
began  to  think  of  the  creation  of  the  universe, 
it  imagined  that  the  creator  was  one  who 
brought  the  world  into  existence  and  produced 
it  out  of  nothing.  Gradually  the  conception 
of  the  creator  evolved  into  that  of  the  father 
of  the  universe. 

All  our  conceptions  of  God  begin  with 
anthropomorphism,  that  is,  with  giving  to 
God  human  attributes  in  a  greatly  magnified 

degree,  and  end  in  de-anthropomorphism,  or 

87 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

making  Him  free  from  human  attributes.  At 
the  first  stage  the  human  mind  conceives 
of  the  creator  as  a  great  Being  who  dwells 
outside  of  the  world  which  he  creates,  just  as 
the  father  is  separate  from  the  son  whom  he 
begets.  The  Hebrew  conception  of  Yahveh 
was  purely  anthropomorphic.  Yahveh  pos- 
sessed all  human  attributes  and,  dwelling  in  a 
heaven  outside  of  the  universe,  created  the 
world  out  of  nothing,  fashioned  it,  and  after- 
ward became  its  governor.  The  same  Yahveh, 
when  addressed  by  Jesus  the  Christ  as  the 
Father  in  heaven,  did  not  lose  his  Yahvehic 
nature;  but  was  simply  endowed  with  the 
fatherly  aspect  of  Jupiter  or  the  Greek  Zeus- 
pitar.  The  sweet,  loving  and  fatherly  attri- 
butes of  Jupiter  were  superadded  to  the  stern, 
extra- cosmic  Yahveh,  the  despotic  ruler  of 
the   world. 

The  word  Jupiter,  or  Zeus-pitar,  has  a 
long  history  behind  it,  with  which  ordinary 
readers  are  not  famihar,  but  which  is  known 

to  a  few  Vedic  scholars.     It  meant  "  father 
88 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  G(h1. 

in  heaven"  and  is  a  transmuted  form  of  tlit 
Sanskrit  Dyus-Pitar  or  Dyaus-Pitar,  which 
very  often  occurs  in  the  Rig  Veda,  the  oldest 
of  the  revealed  Scriptures  of  the  v^^orld.  The 
term  ''Dyaus"  or  ''Dyus"  originally  signified 
''shining  space"  or  ''heavens,"  but  after- 
wards it  was  used  for  the  self-effulgent  Spirit 
dwelhng  in  the  heavens;  and  "Pitar"  was 
the  father  and  the  protector.  In  the  second 
book  of  the  Rig  Veda  (ch.  iii,  ver.  20)  we 
read,  ^^Dyaus  me  pita  janitd  ndbhi  ratra.''^ 
Here  the  word  "Dyaus"  is  used,  not  in  the 
sense  of  "shining  heavens"  as  some  of  the 
Oriental  scholars  have  imagined,  but  it  refers 
to  the  Spiritual  Source  of  all  Hght  as  well  as 
of  heavens.  "Pita,"  literally  "father,"  here 
means  "protector."  The  meaning  of  this 
verse  therefore  is  "That  shining  or  self-efful- 
gent Spirit  w^ho  dwells  in  the  heavens,  is  my 
father  and  protector,  my  progenitor  or  pro- 
ducer, and  in  him  hes  the  source  of  all  things." 
This  was  the  earliest  conception  of  the  fatherly 
aspect  of  the  Supreme  Being  which  we  find  in 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

studying  the  Vedas.  Again,  in  the  tenth 
book  of  the  Rig  Veda,  Prajapati,  the  Lord 
of  all  creatures,  is  addressed  as  "Pitar,"  the 
Father  and  the  Protector  (ch.  v,  ver.  6,  7). 

The  one  Supreme  personal  God  was  called 
in  the  Vedas  "Prajapati,"  the  Lord  and 
Father  of  all  creatures.  He  is  most  beauti- 
fully described  in  the  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
first  hymn  of  the  tenth  book  of  the  Rig  Veda. 
The  conception  of  a  personal  God  which  we 
find  in  this  hymn  has  not  been  surpassed  by 
the  idea  of  a  personal  God  among  any  other 
nation  during  the  last  five  thousand  years. 
When  an  ancient  Vedic  Seer  was  asked  "To 
whom  shall  we  offer  our  prayers  and  sacri- 
fices?" he  replied: 

1.  "In  the  beginning  there  arose  the  Praja- 
pati, the  first-born  Lord  of  all  that  exists. 
He  holds  by  his  power  the  heavens  and  the 
earth.  To  Him  we  should  offer  our  prayers 
and  sacrifices." 

2.  "Prajipati,   the  Lord  of  all  creatures, 

who  gives  Hfe  and  strength  to  all  that  exists, 
90 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

from  whose  body  emanate  the  individual  souls 
like  sparks  from  fire;  who  is  the  purifier  of 
all  souls ;  whose  commands  all  creatures  revere 
and  obey;  whose  shadow  is  immortahty  and 
mortahty;  to  Him  we  should  offer  our  prayers 
and  sacrifices." 

3.  ''Who  by  His  power  and  glory  became 
the  one  King  (without  a  second)  of  all  men, 
of  beasts,  nay,  of  all  animate  and  inanimate 
objects;  to  Him  we  should  offer  our  prayers 
and  sacrifices. 

4.  "Whose  greatness  is  manifested  in  the 
snow-capped  ranges  of  mountains  and  in 
the  waters  of  the  rivers  and  the  oceans ;  whose 
arms  are  spread  on  all  sides;  to  Him  should 
we  offer  our  prayers  and  sacrifices. 

5.  ''Who  made  the  sky  strong  and  the 
earth  firm,  who  estabfished  heavens  in  their 
places,  nay,  the  highest  heaven;  who  measured 
the  Hght  in  the  air;  to  Him  we  should  offer 
our  prayers  and  sacrifices. 

6.  "To  whom  heaven  and  earth,  standing 

firm  by  His  help,  look  up,  trembling  in  their 
91 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

minds;  and  by  whose  support  the  rising  sun 
shines  forth.  To  Him  we  should  offer  our 
prayers  and  sacrifices. 

7.  "When  the  great  waters  went  every- 
where, holding  the  germ  and  generating  fire, 
thence  He  arose  who  is  the  sole  Hfe  of  the 
bright  spirits  (Devas).  To  Him  we  should 
offer  our  prayers  and  sacrifices. 

8.  "Who  is  the  one  Lord  of  all  living  beings 
and  God  above  all  gods;  who  by  His  might 
looked  over  the  causal  waters  at  the  time  of 
dissolution.  To  Him  we  should  offer  our 
prayers  and  sacrifices. 

9.  "May  He  not  injure  us,  He  who  is  the 
Creator  of  the  earth,  heavens,  and  bright 
and  mighty  waters,  who  is  the  foundation  of 
truth,  righteousness  and  justice.  To  Him 
we  should  offer  our  prayers  and  sacrifices. 

10.  "O  Praj^pati,  no  other  but  Thou  has 

held  together  all  these  phenomena;  whatever 

we  desire  in  sacrificing  to  Thee,  may  that  be 

ours;  may  we  be  the  lords  of  all  wealth." 

The   same   Prajapati,    the   true,   just   and 
92 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

righteous  Lord  of  the  universe  and  God  of  all 

gods,   was  addressed  by  the  Vedic  Sage  as 

"  Dyaus-Pitar "  or  the  Father  in  heaven  and 

the    Protector    of    all.     He    is    described    in 

another  hymn  of  the  Rig  Veda  as  Aditij  the 

unflinching   and   immutable    support    of   the 

phenomenal    universe.     The    word    "Aditi'^ 

signified  the  motherly  aspect  of  the   Divine 

Being.     "Aditi  is  in  the  heavens  and  in  the 

illumined  space  that  pervades  between  heaven 

and  earth,  the  Mother  of  all  Devas  or  gods 

as  well  as  the   Creator  of  all  animate  and 

inanimate   objects.     She   is   also   the   Father 

and  Protector   of   all;    She   is  the   Son   and 

the   Creator;  by  Her  grace  She  saves  from 

sin  the  souls  of  those  who  worship  Her.     She 

gives   unto   Her   children   everything   that   is 

worth   giving.     She   dwells   in   the   forms   of 

all  Devas  or  bright  spirits;  She  is  all  that  is 

bom  and  all  that  will  be  born.     She  is  all  in 

all."     (Rig  Veda,  Book  2,  ch.  vi,  verse  17.) 

Thus   we   see    that  in    ancient  India  God 

was  conceived  as  both  the  Father  and  the 
93 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

Mother  of  the  universe  centuries  before 
Jesus  was  born.  In  Greece,  however,  the 
idea  of  the  Fatherhood  of  Zeus-pitar  pre- 
vailed, but  his  motherly  aspect  was  denied, 
because  Zeus-pitar  or  Jupiter  was  only  an 
extra-cosmic  personal  God.  As  long  as  the 
conception  of  God  is  extra-cosmic,  or  as 
dwelHng  outside  of  nature,  so  long  He  appears 
to  His  worshippers  as  father  alone  and  as 
mascuhne.  The  God  of  Jesus  the  Christ 
was  the  same  extra-cosmic  creator  who  was 
called  Yahveh  or  Jehovah  in  Judaism  and 
who  was  always  described  as  masculine. 

According  to  the  Hebrews  the  mascuhne 
element  of  nature  possessed  all  activity, 
strength  and  power;  the  male  principle  was 
recognized  as  the  generator,  and  the  female 
principle  of  nature  was  thought  to  be  lower, 
insignificant,  powerless  and  passive.  The 
female  principle  of  nature  was  the  producer 
and  bearer  of  what  the  male  principle  created; 
consequently  everything  that  represented  the 

female    principle    was    considered    as    unim- 
94 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

portant.  This  explains  why  womanhood  was 
estimated  so  low  by  the  writers  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments,  especially  by  the  great 
apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  Even  the  very 
appearance  and  existence  of  woman  on  earth 
depended  upon  a  man's  rib,  according  to 
Genesis.  Although  the  Creator  was  repre- 
sented by  the  Hebrews  as  masculine  and  all- 
powerful,  when  they  explained  the  genesis 
of  the  world  they  could  not  deny  the  presence 
of  the  feminine  element  which  helped  the  Cre- 
ator in  bringing  life  into  existence.  In  the 
Mosaic  account  of  Genesis  we  read  "And  the 
spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of  the 
waters "  (Gen.  i,  2),  which  Hterally  means 
that  the  Creator  impregnated  the  waters  or 
the  female  element  of  nature.  And,  as  God, 
that  is,  the  male  element,  was  extra-cosmic, 
outside  of  nature,  and  possessed  all  activity 
and  power,  He  became  the  object  of  worship; 
and  the  female  element  or  nature  was  entirely 
ignored.     Every  Christian  admits  the  existence 

of  nature,  the  female  principle;  but  she  has 
95 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

never  been  worshipped  or  adored.  The  idea 
of  Father  grew  stronger  and  stronger  and  the 
mother  nature  was  left  aside  as  passive  and 
powerless,  and  was  ultimately  ignored.  As 
long  as  the  conception  of  God  remains  as 
extra-cosmic,  separate  from  nature  which  is 
passive,  so  long  will  He  appear  as  Father 
alone.  The  more  we  comprehend  God  as 
immanent  and  resident  in  nature,  the  more 
clearly  we  understand  that  God  is  our  Mother 
as  well  as  our  Father.  When  we  see  that 
nature  or  the  feminine  principle  is  inseparable 
from  the  Supreme  Being  or  the  masculine 
element,  when  we  reaUze  that  nature  is  not 
passive  and  powerless  but  the  Divine  Energy, 
then  we  understand  that  God  is  one  stupendous 
Whole,  in  whom  exist  both  the  mascuhne  and 
feminine  principles.  Then  we  no  longer  sepa- 
rate nature  from  God,  but  we  recognize 
nature  as  a  part  of  the  manifested  Divine 
Energy. 

So  long  as  God  is  supposed  to  dwell  out- 
side of  nature  and  as  father  alone,  He  remains 
96 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

as  the  efficient  cause  of  the  universe,  while 
nature  appears  to  be  the  material  cause. 
But  when  we  realize  that  nature  or  the  ma- 
terial cause  is  nothing  but  a  part  of  the  mani- 
fested Divine  Energy,  we  then  understand 
that  God  does  not,  hke  a  carpenter  or  a  potter, 
create  or  fashion  the  phenomena  out  of  the 
materials  which  exist  outside  of  Himself,  but 
that  He  projects  by  the  process  of  evolution 
everything  out  of  His  own  body  wherein 
dwell  all  matter  and  forces  of  the  world. 

In  no  other  Scriptures  than  the  Vedas,  in 
no  other  rehgion  than  that  of  Vcdanta,  is  the 
personal  God  described  as  the  Father  and  the 
Mother,  the  efficient  and  the  material  cause 
of  the  universe.  Now-a-days  liberal-minded 
Christians  are  trying  to  introduce  the  idea 
that  God  is  both  Father  and  Mother  of  the 
universe;  but  they  do  not  realize  that  by  so 
doing  they  are  entirely  upsetting  the  Christian 
conception  of  God,  w'ho  dwells  outside  of 
nature    and   of   the   universe.     The    God    of 

Christianity  can  never  become  both  Father 
97 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

and  Mother  at  the  same  time.  If  we  address 
Him  as  the  Mother  of  the  universe,  we  have 
outgrown  that  conception  of  God  which  is 
taught  in  the  Bible  and  in  Christian  theology. 
In  the  whole  Scriptures  of  the  Christians  there 
is  not  one  passage  where  Jehovah  is  addressed 
as  the  Mother.  In  Isaiah  (ch.  Ixvi,  13)  the 
Lord  says:  "As  one  whom  his  mother  com- 
forteth  so  will  I  comfort  you."  From  this 
passage,  however,  no  fair-minded  person  can 
deduce  that  Jehovah  was  the  mother  of  the 
universe. 

The  Vedantic  idea  that  God  is  the  Mother 
as  well  as  the  Father  of  all  harmonizes  with 
the  modern  scientific  conception  of  God. 
Modern  science  traces  the  whole  phenomenal 
universe  back  to  the  state  of  eternal  energy. 
The  doctrine  of  evolution,  correlation  of 
forces,  persistence  of  energy,  all  these  clearly 
prove  that  the  phenomena  of  the  whole  uni- 
verse and  the  various  forces  of  tbe  external 
and  internal  world  are  but  the  expressions  of 
one  eternal  energy.    The  theory  of  evolution 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

explains  only  the  mode  in  which  that  eternal 
energy  produces  this  phenomenal  universe. 
Science  has  disproved  the  old  theory  of  crea- 
tion out  of  nothing  through  the  fiat  of  an  extra- 
cosmic  God,  and  has  show^n  that  something 
can  never  come  out  of  nothing.  Science 
teaches  that  the  universe  existed  in  a  potential 
state  in  that  energy,  and  gradually  through 
the  process  of  evolution  the  whole  potentiality 
has  become  kinetic  or  actual.  That  eternal 
energy  is  not  an  unintelHgent  energy,  but  is 
intelHgent.  Wherever  we  cast  our  eyes,  either 
in  the  external  or  internal  world,  we  find 
the  expression,  not  of  a  fortuitous  or  acci- 
dental combination  of  matter  and  mechan- 
ical forces,  but  of  regular  laws  guided  by 
definite  purpose.  This  universe  is  not  a 
chaos  but  a  cosmos,  one  harmonious  whole. 
It  is  not  an  aimless  chain  of  changes  which 
we  call  evolution,  but  there  is  an  orderly 
hidden  purpose  at  every  step  of  evolution. 
Therefore,    that    energy    is    intelHgent.     We 

may  call  this  self-existing,  intelligent,  eternal 
99 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

cosmic  energy  the  Mother  of  the  universe. 
She  is  the  source  of  infinite  forces  and  in- 
finite phenomena.  This  eternal  energy  is 
called  in  Sanskrit  Prakriti  (Latin  procreatrix) , 
the  creative  power  of  the  universe. 

*'Thou  art  the  Para  Prakriti  or  the  divine 
energy  of  the  Supreme  Being.  Of  Thee  is 
born  everything  of  the  universe,  therefore 
Thou  art  the  Mother  of  the  universe."  As 
all  the  forces  of  nature  are  but  the  manifesta- 
tions of  this  Divine  Energy,  She  is  called  all- 
powerful.  Wherever  there  is  the  expression 
of  any  force  or  power  in  the  universe,  there 
is  the  manifestation  of  the  eternal  Prakriti  or 
the  Divine  Mother.  It  is  more  appropriate 
to  call  that  Energy  mother  than  father,  because 
hke  a  mother,  that  Energy  holds  within  her 
the  germ  of  the  phenomenal  universe  before 
evolution,  develops  and  sustains  it,  projects 
it  on  space  and  preserves  it  when  it  is  born. 
She  is  the  Mother  of  the  Trinity,  Creator, 
Preserver  and  Destroyer.     She  is  the  source 

of  all  activity.     She  is  the  Saktij  force  in  action. 
100 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

A  creator,  when  deprived  of  his  creative 
power,  is  no  longer  the  creator.  As  the  crea- 
tive power  is  one  of  the  expressions  of  that 
eternal  Energy,  the  Creator  or  Brahma  is 
looked  upon  by  the  Hindus  as  the  child  of 
the  universal  Divine  ^Mother,  so,  too,  is  the 
Preserver  Vishnu  and  the  Destroyer  Siva. 
The  Hindus  have  understood  this  Eternal 
Energy  as  the  Mother  of  the  universe  and  have 
worshipped  Her  from  the  prehistoric  times 
of  the  Vedic  period.  Here  we  should  remem- 
ber that  this  Divine  Energy  is  not  the  same 
as  the  powerless  and  passive  nature  which 
was  rejected  and  ignored  by  the  Jews  and 
the  Christians.  We  must  not  mistake  this 
worship  of  the  Divine  Mother  for  Nature- 
worship.  In  the  Rig  Veda  we  read:  ''The 
Mother  Divine  says,  *  I  am  the  Queen  of  the 
universe,  the  giver  of  all  wealth  and  fruits  of 
works.  I  am  intelhgent  and  omniscient. 
Although  I  am  one,  by  My  powers  I  appear 
as    manifold.     I    cause    war    for    protecting 

men,  I  kill  the  enemy  and  bring  peace  on  earth. 
101 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

I  stretch  out  heaven  and  earth.  I  have  pro- 
duced the  Father.  As  the  wind  blows  by  it- 
self, so  I  produce  all  phenomena  by  My  own 
will.  I  am  independent  and  responsible  to 
none.  I  am  beyond  the  sky,  beyond  this 
earth.  My  glory  is  the  phenomenal  universe; 
such  am  I  by  My  power.' "  * 

Thus  the  Divine  Mother  is  described  as  all 
in  all.  We  live  and  move  and  have  our  exist- 
ence in  that  Divine  Mother.  Who  can  live 
for  a  moment  if  that  Eternal  Energy  cease 
to  manifest?  All  our  mental  and  physical 
activity  depends  on  Her.  She  is  doing  what- 
ever She  chooses  to  do.  She  is  independent. 
She  obeys  none.  She  is  the  producer  of 
every  event  that  occurs  in  the  universe.  She 
makes  one  appear  good,  spiritual  and  divine, 
while  it  is  She  who  makes  another  appear  as 
wicked  and  sinful;  since  it  is  through  Her 
power  one  performs  virtuous  deeds  or  com- 
mits sinful  acts.  But  She  is  beyond  good  and 
evil,  beyond  virtue  and  vice.    Her  forces  are 

*  Rig  Veda,  x,  hymn,  125. 
102 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

neither  good  nor  evil,  although  they  appear 
so  to  us  when  we  look  at  them  from  different 
standpoints  and  compare  them  with  one  an- 
other. 

When  that  all-pervading  divine  energy 
manifests,  it  expresses  itself  in  two  sets  of 
opposite  forces.  The  one  set  has  the  ten- 
dency towards  God  and  is  called  Vidyd  in 
Sanskrit.  The  other  tends  towards  worldH- 
ness  and  is  called  Avidyd.  The  one  leads 
to  freedom  and  happiness,  and  the  other  to 
bondage  and  suffering.  The  one  is  knowledge, 
the  other  is  ignorance.  The  one  is  Hght,  the 
other  is  darkness.  Each  individual  soul  is  a 
center  where  these  opposite  forces  are  con- 
stantly working  and  fighting  with  one  another. 
When  Vidyd  or  the  powers  which  lead  Godward 
predominate,  we  advance  towards  God  and 
become  rehgious,  spiritual  and  unselfish;  but 
when  its  opposite,  the  Avidyd  power  prevails, 
we  become  worldly,  selfish  and  wicked.  When 
the  former  is  predominant  the  latter  is  over- 
come, and  vice  versa.  These  powers  exist  in 
103 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

each  individual,  though  they  vary  in  the  degree 
of  intensity  in  each.  The  man  or  woman,  in 
whom  the  former,  that  is,  the  Godward- 
leading- powers  prevail,  is  called  devotional, 
prayerful,  righteous,  pure  in  heart,  unselfish. 
These  quaHties  are  but  expressions  of  the 
Vidyd  powers  within  us.  Such  higher  powers 
are  latent  in  all,  even  in  those  who  do  not  show 
virtuous  quaHties.  All  persons  can  rouse 
those  latent  spiritual  forces  by  practising 
devotion,  prayer,  righteousness,  purity,  unsel- 
fishness. The  easiest  way  to  attain  them  is 
by  the  worship  of  the  Vidyd  Sakti,  or  that 
aspect  of  the  Divine  Mother  or  Divine  Energy 
which  represents  all  the  powers  that  lead  to 
spiritual  perfection. 

By  worship  or  devotion  is  meant  constant 
remembrance  of  that  aspect.  If  we  con- 
stantly think  of  the  source  of  all  spirituaHty 
and  of  all  the  higher  powers  which  make 
one  spiritual,  surely  those  powers  will  be 
aroused  in  us,  and  we  shall  become  spir- 
itual, righteous  and  unselfish.  Therefore  the 
104 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

Hindus  worship  this  Vidyd  Sakti.  When  they 
worship  that  aspect,  they  do  not,  however, 
deny,  or  ignore  its  opposite  nature  which 
leads  to  worldhness,  but  they  make  it  subor- 
dinate to  the  higher  Vidya  aspect.  Some- 
times they  think  of  these  opposite  forces 
separately,  personify  them  and  make  them 
the  female  attendants  of  the  Divine  Mother. 
The  Divine  Mother  has  many  attendants. 
All  the  evil  forces  of  nature  are  Her  attend- 
ants. She  stands  in  the  center  of  the  universe 
radiant  in  Her  own  glory,  like  the  sun  when 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  thick,  dark  clouds. 
Wherever  there  is  any  expression  of  extraor- 
dinary righteousness  and  spirituaKty,  it  is  a 
special  manifestation  of  the  Divine  Mother, 
there  is  Her  incarnation.  The  Divine  Mother 
incarnates  sometimes  in  the  form  of  a  man, 
and  sometimes  in  the  form  of  a  woman,  to 
establish  order  and  righteousness.  All  men 
and  women  are  Her  children.  But  there  is 
something  more  in  woman.  As  woman  rep- 
resents motherhood  on  earth,  so  all  women, 
105 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

whether  married  or  unmarried,  are  representa- 
tives of  that  Almighty  Divine  Mother  of  the 
universe.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  women 
are  so  highly  revered  and  honored  by  the 
Hindus.  There  is  no  country  in  the  world 
except  India  where  God  the  Supreme  Being 
has  been  worshipped  from  time  immemorial 
as  the  Divine  Mother  of  the  universe.  India 
is  the  only  country  where  the  earthly  mother 
is  looked  upon  as  the  Hving  Deity,  and  where 
a  man  learns  in  his  childhood  "One  mother 
is  greater  than  a  thousand  fathers." 

You  have  heard  many  stories  regarding  the 
condition  of  women  in  India.  Most  of  these, 
however,  are  grossly  exaggerated,  some  are 
utterly  false  and  some  are  partially  true. 
The  famiUar  American  story  of  Hindu  mothers 
throv^ring  their  babes  into  the  Ganges  to 
become  food  for  crocodiles,  is  unknown 
among  the  Hindus.  In  the  first  place,  croco- 
diles cannot  live  in  a  strong  current  hke  that 
of  the  Ganges.    I  have  travelled  the  length 

of  this  mighty  river  from  its  mouth  to  its  source, 
106 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

some  fifteen  hundred  miles,  but  never  found 
a  single  instance  of  such  an  inhuman  act. 
Hindu  mothers,  Hke  their  Christian  sisters, 
may  sometimes  destroy  their  children,  but 
such  action  is  as  strongly  condemned  in  India 
as  in  America.  These  statements  were  heard 
by  me  for  the  first  time  after  coming  to  Amer- 
ica, though  tales  and  pictures  to  this  effect 
have  been  quite  common  in  this  country  in 
books  for  the  young.*  There  is  no  ,  other 
country  "Where  every  living  mother '^ — as 
Sir  Monier  Monier  WilHams  says — "is  ven- 
erated as  a  kind  of  deity  by  her  children, 
where  every  village  or  city  has  its  special 
guardian  mother,  called  (in  Sanskrit)  Mata.^'  * 
It  is  extremely  difficult  for  a  Western  mind 
to  grasp  exactly  what  the  Hindus  mean  when 
they  say  that  every  woman  is  a  representative 
of  the  Di\dne  Mother.  A  very  simple  illustra- 
tion will  give  you  an  idea  of  the  respect  the 
Hindus  have  for  women.  In  Sanskrit  when 
two   names    are   used   together,    the   rule   of 

*  "  Hinduism  and  Brahmanism,"  p.  222. 
107 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

grammar  is  that  the  more  honorable  should 
stand  first.  In  Sanskrit  we  say  women  and 
men,  not  men  and  women;  instead  of  father 
and  mother,  we  say  mother  and  father;  instead 
of  husband  and  wife,  wife  and  husband, 
because  a  woman  is  always  more  honorable 
than  a  man.  In  India  wives  do  not  adopt 
their  husbands'  names,  they  do  not  merge 
their  individuahty  into  that  of  their  husbands 
as  women  do  in  the  West,  but  they  keep 
their  own  name  separate.  If  a  wife's  name 
be  Radha,  and  her  husband's  name  be  Krishna, 
and  if  we  say  them  together,  we  would  say 
Radha-Krishna  and  never  Krishna-Radha. 
The  wife's  name  must  be  said  first.  So  we 
say  Sita-Rama;  Sita  is  the  wife  and  Rama 
is  the  husband.  Again,  when  God  incar- 
nates in  a  man  form,  as  in  Krishna  or  Rama, 
the  wife  of  such  an  incarnation  will  be 
worshipped  as  the  incarnation  of  the 
Mother.  The  wife  will  be  worshipped  first 
and  then  the    husband.      A    Western    mind 

does    not    easily    appreciate    the     wonderful 
108 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

reverence  for  womanhood  which  the  Hindus 
have. 

The  Divine  Mother  is  the  personal  God, 
the  same  as  Iswara  in  Sanskrit;  and  Brahman 
or  the  Absolute  Substance  or  the  Universal 
Spirit  is  the  impersonal  Being.  Brahman  is 
formless,  nameless  and  without  any  attributes. 
It  is  the  ocean  of  absolute  inteUigence,  exist- 
ence and  bHss.  It  has  no  activity.  It  is  the 
Godhead  of  Fichte,  the  Substantia  of  Spinoza. 
It  transcends  all  phenomena.  Before  phe- 
nomenal manifestation  Divine  Energy  rested 
on  the  bosom  of  that  ocean  of  Absolute  Being 
in  a  potential  state.  It  is  the  dormant  state 
of  activity  somewhat  Hke  our  deep  sleep 
state  when  all  activity  is  latent.  As  in  deep 
sleep  all  the  mental  and  physical  powers 
exist  in  us  in  an  unmanifested  condition  and 
nothing  is  lost,  so,  before  the  beginning  of 
the  cosmic  evolution,  all  the  phenomenal 
forces  of  the  universe  remained  dormant  in 
that    Energy.     There    were    no    phenomena, 

no    manifestation    of    any    powers    whatever. 
109 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

Again,  as  in  our  waking  state  all  the  latent 
powers  manifest  and  we  are  able  to  walk, 
move,  talk  and  are  tremendously  active,  so, 
when  a  portion  of  that  Impersonal  Being 
wakes  up,  as  it  were,  and  manifests  the  latent 
cosmic  powers  of  the  sleeping  Energy,  the 
evolution  of  the  cosmic  Energy  begins  and 
the  Impersonal  Being  appears  as  the  Creator 
of  the  universe  and  its  Preserver. 

The  Impersonal  Being  is  then  called  per- 
sonal, on  account  of  that  manifested  energy. 
According  to  the  Hindus  the  impersonal  Brah- 
man is  neither  mascuHne  nor  feminine.  But 
the  personal  God  is  mascuHne  and  feminine 
both  in  one.  Energy  and  Being  are  insepa- 
rable in  the  personal  God.  As  pure  Being 
without  energy  cannot  produce  any  phenom- 
ena and  as  Energy  possesses  all  activity  and 
is  the  mother  of  all  forces  and  phenomena, 
the  personal  God  is  most  appropriately  called 
the  Mother  of  the  universe.  As  fire  and  its 
burning  power  or  heat   are   inseparable,   so 

Being  and  Energy  are  inseparable  and  one. 
110 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

Those  who  worship  the  mascuhne  aspect  of 
God,  in  reaHty  worship  the  male  child  born 
of  that  Divine  Mother.  Because  the  activity, 
strength  and  power  which  make  one  mascu- 
hne, owe  their  origin  to  that  Divine  Energy. 
But  those  who  worship  the  Divine  Mother 
worship  the  Whole — all  gods,  all  angels  and 
all  spirits  that  exist  in  the  universe. 

The  wonderful  effect  of  this  conception  of 
the  Motherhood  of  God  is  to  be  found  in  the 
daily  life  of  almost  every  Hindu  woman  and 
man.  A  Hindu  woman  thinks  that  she  is  a 
part  of  the  Divine  Mother,  nay  one  with  Her. 
She  looks  upon  all  men  and  women  of  the  world 
as  her  own  children.  She  thinks  of  herself 
as  the  blessed  Mother  of  the  world.  How 
can  such  a  woman  be  unkind  to  anybody? 
Her  pure  motherly  love  flows  towards  all  men 
and  women  equally.  There  is  no  room  for 
any  impure  thought  or  feeHng  or  passion  in 
such  a  heart.  That  perfect  motherly  feehng 
makes   her   ultimately   Hve   hke   the    Divine 

Mother  on  earth.     Her  ideal  God  in  human 
111 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

form  is  her  own  child.  She  worships  the  in- 
carnation of  God  as  her  most  beloved  child. 
Just  as  Mary  was  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  so 
the  Hindu  women  in  India  often  look  upon 
themselves  as  the  mother  of  Krishna,  the 
Hindu  Christ,  or  of  Rama,  another  incarna- 
tion. Christian  mothers,  perhaps,  will  be 
able  to  appreciate  this  to  a  certain  extent. 
If  a  Christian  mother  thinks  that  she  is  Christ's 
mother  and  loves  Him  as  she  loves  her  own 
child,  the  effect  will  be  wonderful.  She  will 
then  understand  what  Divine  Motherhood 
is.  The  Hindus  think  this  the  easiest  way 
for  women  to  attain  to  that  love  which  makes 
them  unselfish  and  divine.  A  mother  can 
sacrifice  everything  for  her  child ;  she  naturally 
loves  the  child  without  seeking  any  return, 
though  there  are  mothers  who  do  not  possess 
pure,  unselfish  motherly  love.  A  true  mother, 
however,  loves  her  child  above  everything. 
If  such  a  child  be  an  incarnation  of  God  Him- 
self, how  easy  it  will  be  for  the  mother  to 

attain  to  the  highest  goal  of  reHgion.     I  know 
112 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  (rod. 

a  lady  in  India  who  became  a  widow  when  she 
was  young.  She  did  not  marry  again.  She 
was  not  hke  the  ordinary  woman  of  the  world 
who  thinks  that  a  husband  is  essential  to  her 
happiness  and  that  marriage  is  the  highest 
ideal  of  Hfe.  She  lived  the  pure  life  of  a  nun 
and  worshipped  Krishna  as  her  own  child. 
She  became  so  advanced  in  spirituality  that 
now  hundreds  of  educated  men  and  women 
of  high  rank  in  Calcutta  come  to  see  her,  to  re- 
ceive spiritual  instruction  from  her.  They  kiss 
the  dust  of  her  feet  as  devout  Roman  Catho- 
lics kiss  the  feet  of  the  statue  of  Mary,  they 
revere  her  and  call  her  the  Mother  of  God, 
Mother  of  Krishna,  the  Shepherd.  She  is  still 
living  near  Calcutta.  She  feels  in  herself  the 
presence  of  the  blessed  Mother  of  the  universe. 
Another  wonderful  result  of  this  concep- 
tion of  God  as  the  Mother  of  the  universe,  is 
that  when  a  man  worships  God  as  his  mother, 
he  always  thinks  of  himself  as  a  child  in  its 
Mother's  arms.  As  a  child  does  not  fear  any- 
thing when  it  is  near  its  mother,  so  the  wor- 
113 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

shipper  of  the  Divine  Mother  is  never  afraid 
of  anything.  He  sees  the  Blessed  Mother 
everywhere.  In  every  woman  he  sees  the 
manifestation  of  his  Eternal  Mother.  Con- 
sequently, every  woman  on  earth  is  his  mother. 
He  conquers  all  lust  and  sense  desires.  He 
sees  woman  in  a  different  light.  He  worships 
every  woman  mentally. 

I  have  seen  a  man  who  Hved  on  this  earth  like 
a  Hving  child  of  the  Divine  Mother,  always  pro- 
tected and  taken  care  of  by  Her.  He  worshipped 
God  as  the  Mother  of  the  universe.  Through 
that  worship  he  became  pure,  righteous  and 
spiritual.  He  used  to  say  "O,  my  Mother, 
Thou  art  all  in  all.  Thou  art  my  Guide, 
my  Leader  and  Strength. ' '  His  Divine  Mother 
showed  him  the  true  nature  of  man  and  woman. 
He  bowed  down  before  all  women,  young, 
mature  and  old,  and  said  to  them — "You  are 
the  living  representatives  of  my  Divine  Mother 
on  earth."  How  can  a  child  have  any  other 
relation  to  one  who  is  the  same  as  its  real 

mother?    By  this  kind  of  devotion  he  con- 
114 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

quered  all  lust  and  worldliness.  His  child- like, 
whole-souled  and  rapturous  self-consecration 
to  the  Divine  Mother  is  a  landmark  in  the 
rehgious  history  of  India.  His  whole  Hfe, 
which  was  the  personification  of  purity,  self- 
control,  self-resignation  and  filial  love  to  the 
Divine  Mother,  stands  as  a  mighty  testimony 
to  the  reality  and  effectiveness  of  the  worship 
of  God  as  the  Mother  of  the  universe.  When 
he  sang  the  praises  of  the  Divine  Mother, 
he  gave  life  to  every  word  he  uttered,  and 
no  soul  could  hear  him  without  being  moved 
to  tears  by  deep  devotional  feelings,  without 
reahzing  that  this  wonderful  child  was  in  direct 
communion  with  his  Divine  Mother.  His 
Divine  Mother  showed  him  that  each  woman 
was  Her  incarnation,  so  he  worshipped  and 
honored  all  women  as  a  son  might  worship 
his  own  mother.  Some  Western  people  may 
laugh  at  such  reverence,  but  a  Hindu  is  ex- 
tremely proud  of  it.  He  knows  how  to  honor 
a  woman.     Professor  Max  Muller  was  much 

impressed    with    the    wonderful   Hfe   of   this 
115 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

great  sage,  and  recently  published  his  Hfe  and 
sayings.*  He  was  once  asked:  '*If  we  are 
the  children  of  your  Divine  Mother,  why  does 
She  not  take  care  of  us?  Why  does  She  not 
come  to  us  and  take  us  up  in  Her  arms?" 
The  sage  rephed:  ''A  mother  has  several 
children.  To  one  she  has  given  a  doll,  to 
another  some  candy,  to  the  third  a  music 
box,  according  as  each  one  Hkes.  Thus  when 
they  begin  to  play  and  are  absorbed,  they 
forget  their  mother;  she  in  the  meanwhile 
looks  after  her  household  work.  But  the 
moment  any  one  of  them  gets  tired  of  the  play, 
and,  throwing  aside  the  plaything,  cries  for 
the  mother,  '  Mamma,  mamma  dear ! '  she 
runs  quickly  to  him,  takes  him  up  in  her  arms, 
kisses  him  often  and  often  and  caresses  him. 
So,  oh  man!  being  absorbed  with  the  play- 
things of  the  world  you  have  forgotten  your 
Divine  Mother;  when  you  get  tired  of  your 
play,  and,  throwing  aside  the  toys,  you  cry 

* "  Life  and   Sayings   of   Ramakrishna,"    by   F. 
Max  Miiller.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 
116 


Fatherhood  and  Motherhood  of  God. 

for  Her  sincerely  and  with  the  simplicity  of  a 
child,  She  will  come  at  once  and  take  you  up 
in  Her  arms.  Now  you  want  to  play  and 
She  has  given  you  all  that  you  need  at  pres- 
ent." Each  one  of  us  will  see  the  Divine 
Mother  sooner  or  later.  The  Mother  is 
always  taking  care  of  us  and  protecting  us 
whether  we  feel  it  or  not,  whether  we  reahze 
it  or  not. 

The  Vedanta  philosophy  recognizes  both 
the  fatherhood  and  motherhood  of  the  personal 
God  and  teaches  us  that  through  the  worship 
of  either  of  these  aspects  the  highest  ideal  of 
reUgion  can  be  reached.  The  Prajapati  or 
the  Lord  of  all  creatures  of  the  Vedas  is 
called  "Isw^ara"  in  Vedanta.  Some  worship 
Him  as  the  Father,  while  others  call  Him 
Divine  Mother.  But  He  is  sexless  and 
therefore  both  Father  and  ISIother  of  all. 
Those  who  address  Him  as  the  Father  say: 

"O  Lord,  Thou  art  the  Father  of  the  uni- 
verse, of  all  animate  and  inanimate  objects. 

Thou    art    worshipped    by    all.     Thou    art 
117 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

greater  than  the  greatest;  O  Thou  of  incom- 
parable power,  none  in  the  heavens  and 
earth  is  equal  to  Thee,  how  can  any  one  be 
greater?  O  Lord,  as  a  father  forgiveth  his 
son,  a  friend  his  dear  friend,  a  lover  his  be- 
loved, even  so  do  Thou  forgive  me.'' 

Those  who  worship  His  motherly  aspect 
pray  to  Her,  saying: 

"O  Mother  Divine,  Thou  art  the  eternal 
energy,  the  infinite  source  of  the  universe. 
Thy  powers  manifest  in  the  infinite  variety 
of  names  and  forms.  Being  deluded  by  the 
power  of  ignorance  we  forget  Thee  and  take 
pleasure  in  the  playthings  of  the  world.  But 
when  we  come  to  Thee,  take  Thy  refuge  and 
worship  Thee,  Thou  makest  us  free  from  igno- 
rance and  worldliness,  and  givest  us  eternal 
happiness  by  keeping  us,  Thine  own  children, 

on  Thy  bosom." 

118 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 


"The  soul  enchained  is  *  man*  and  jree  from  chain 
is  *God*" — Life  and  Sayings  of  R&makrishna,  by 
F.  Max  Miiller,  p.    145. 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

A  CLEAR  understanding  of  man's  relation 
to  God  is  a  matter  of  momentous  importance 
to  students  of  philosophy  and  religion  and  to 
all  seekers  of  Truth.  From  very  ancient  times 
all  the  best  thinkers,  prophets  and  the  great 
rehgious  leaders  of  the  world,  whether  of  the 
East  or  of  the  West,  have  endeavored  to  explain 
our  relation  to  God  and  to  the  universe.  Out 
of  those  explanations  have  arisen  various 
schools  of  philosophy  and  different  systems 
of  rehgious  behefs  among  the  different  nations 
of  the  world. 

Every  philosophy  and  every  rehgion,  ancient 
or  modem,  has  arrived  at  certain  conclusions 
in  its  attempt  to  describe  the  relation  which 
each  individual  bears  to  God.  All  such  con- 
clusions, of  course,  presuppose  the  existence 
121 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

of  God,  and  depend  upon  the  nature  of  our 
conception  of  God  as  well  as  of  the  human 
soul.  Those  who  deny  the  existence  of  God 
and  hold  that  we  are  but  mere  accidental 
appearances  in  the  mechanical  process  of  the 
blind  forces  of  nature  which  are  acting  aim- 
lessly upon  dead  matter,  think  that  it  is  loss 
of  time  and  waste  of  energy  to  discuss  such 
useless  and  absurd  topics.  They  would  rather 
devote  their  energy  to  obtaining  the  best 
things  of  the  Godless  world  for  the  comforts 
of  the  soulless  body.  They  do  not  beheve 
in  the  existence  of  any  such  thing  as  soul, 
mind  or  spirit  apart  from  the  functions  of  the 
body.  When  the  body  dies  everything  comes 
to  an  end.  As  with  the  body,  so  it  is  with 
the  material  universe. 

Such  thinkers  are  not  the  products  of  the 
Twentieth  Century  alone,  but  they  are  as  old 
as  the  appearance  of  man  upon  earth.  In 
ancient  India  this  class  of  thinkers  existed 
side  by  side  with  the  behevers  in  the  individual 

soul  of  man  and  in  God,  as  numerously  as  we 
122 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

find  them  to-day  among  the  most  cultivated 
minds  of  the  West.  Those  ancient  material- 
ists, Hke  the  modern  agnostics  and  atheists, 
making  sense  perception  the  standard  of 
their  knowledge  of  things,  denied  the  exist- 
ence of  that  which  they  could  not  perceive  by 
their  senses.  But  the  other  class  of  thinkers, 
who  went  below  the  surface  of  sense  percep- 
tions into  the  realm  of  the  invisible,  weighed 
these  materiahstic  arguments,  pointed  out 
their  fallacies,  and  ultimately  established 
through  logical  and  scientific  reasoning,  the 
existence  of  the  individual  soul  of  man  as 
well  as  of  the  soul  of  the  universe,  or  God, 
and  described  their  mutual  relation. 

These  thinkers  can  be  divided  into  three 
classes:  First,  theduaHsts;  secondly,  the  qual- 
ified non-dualists,  and  thirdly,  the  non-dualists, 
or  monists.  The  Western  dualists  beheve  in 
an  extra-cosmic  personal  God,  who  creates 
the  universe  out  of  nothing,  fashions  it,  gives 
names    to    the    phenomena,    and    afterwards 

governs    it.     According    to    them,    God,    the 
123 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

creator  and  governor  of  the  universe,  is  eter- 
nally separate  from  the  world  and  from  all 
living  creatures,  just  as  a  potter  is  separate 
from  the  pot  which  he  makes  or  as  a  carpenter 
who  stands  always  outside  of  the  table  or 
chair  which  he  makes.  The  dualists  beheve 
in  a  God  who  has  human  attributes  infinitely 
magnified.  He  is  all-wise,  merciful,  just 
and  all-powerful.  Some  of  the  dualists  go 
so  far  as  to  give  human  form  to  God,  as  v/e 
find  in  the  conception  of  Jehovah  among 
the  Hebrews  and  the  orthodox  Christians. 
In  the  Old  Testament,  Jehovah  is  described 
as  walking  with  Adam  in  the  Garden  of  Eden. 
It  is  said:  "And  they  heard  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  God  walking  in  the  garden  in  the  cool 
of  the  day,  and  Adam  and  his  wife  hid  them- 
selves from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  God 
amongst  the  trees  of  the  garden. "  (Genesis  iii, 
8.)  Moses  and  Aaron,  Nadab  and  Abihu, 
and  seventy  of  the  elders  of  Israel  saw  Him. 
The  nobles  not  only  saw  but  they  did  eat  and 

drink  with  Him.   (Exodus  xxiv,  9,  11.)    Moses 
124 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

saw  Jehovah's  back.  Jehovah  ate  with  Abra- 
ham under  the  oaks  at  Mamre.  (Genesis  xviii, 
I,  8.)  God  was  pleased  with  the  sweet  savor 
of  Noah's  sacrifice.  He  possessed  human 
appetites.     He  walked  with  Noah. 

The  same  Jehovah  with  a  human  form  and 
human  qualities  and  with  a  human  personality 
is  the  ideal  God  of  the  orthodox  Christian 
monotheists  of  to-day.  They  beHeve  in  Je- 
hovah as  sitting  on  a  throne  somewhere  in 
the  heavens,  with  eyes  red  with  anger  and 
revenge,  and  holding  a  rod,  ever  ready  to 
punish  the  wicked  with  eternal  fire.  From 
many  of  the  orthodox  pulpits  the  same  God  is 
preached  to-day,  as  He  was  in  the  days  of  the 
past.  The  relation  of  man  to  such  a  personal, 
or  rather  human  God,  with  human  attri- 
butes, is  like  that  of  a  creature  to  his  creator, 
of  a  subject  to  his  king,  or  of  a  slave  to  his 
master.  As  the  duty  of  a  subject  is  to  obey 
impHcitly  the  commands  of  his  king,  or  ruler, 
or  governor,  so  every  man's  duty  is  to  obey 

the  commands  of  the  Governor  of  the  uni- 
125 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

verse,  otherwise  he  will  be  punished.     Similar 

relation  of  man  to  the  extra-cosmic  personal 

Ruler  of  the  universe  is  to  be  found  in  most 

of  the  dualistic  or  monotheistic  religions  of 

the  world.     All  the  religions  of  Europe  and 

Asia    which    are    dualistic    or    monotheistic 

teach  that  our  relation  to  God  is  that  of  a 

creature  to  his  creator,   or  of  the   governed 

to  the  governor. 

Although   man   is   said   to   be   created   in 

God's  image  in  Genesis,  yet  it  is  generally 

understood  that  he  cannot  have  any  relation 

higher  than  that  of  a  creature  to  his  creator. 

It    simply   means    that    the  first  man,  being 

the  image  of  God,   possessed  at  first  some 

of  the  divine  quaHties  before  he  was  tempted 

by    Satan.     Although    the  Christians  beHeve 

that  Jesus  the  Christ  was  the  son  of  God, 

and  that  God  is  the  father  of  the  universe, 

yet   according  to   them,   an  ordinary  mortal 

cannot  be  called  the  son  of  God  in  the  same 

sense  as  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was,  because  he 

was  an  exception  to  the  general  rule.   Whether 
126 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

Jesus  ever  meant  that  he  was  the  only  begotten 
son  of  God  exclusive  of  any  other  mortal,  is 
a  problem  yet  to  be  solved.  If  every  individual 
be  a  true  image  or  the  son  of  God,  then  the 
question  arises,  why  should  He  punish  His  own 
son  so  mercilessly  with  eternal  fire  as  is  de- 
scribed in  the  parable  of  the  marriage  of  the 
king's  son:  "Then  said  the  king  to  the  serv- 
ants, bind  him  hand  and  foot  and  take  him 
away  and  cast  him  into  outer  darkness; 
there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth; 
for  many  are  called  but  few  are  chosen." 
(Matt,  xxii,  13,  14.)  Again,  in  the  saying: 
*'Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers,  how 
can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of  hell?"  (Matt, 
xxiii,  33.)  Thus,  according  to  popular  Chris- 
tianity, as  it  is  understood  and  preached  in 
the  orthodox  churches,  man's  relation  to  God 
is  not  like  that  of  His  image,  nor  Hke  that  of  a 
son  to  his  loving  Father,  but  Hke  that  of  a 
subject  to  his  despotic  monarch,  Christ  being 
the  only  begotten  son  of  God.     The  Christians 

believe  that  God  creates  the  soul  out  of  nothing 
127 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

and  implants  it  in  the  human  form  at  the  time 
of  its  birth.  As  long  as  there  is  preached 
the  idea  of  the  creation  of  the  universe  and 
of  man  out  of  nothing  by  an  extra-cosmic 
personal  God  with  human  attributes,  so  long 
will  our  relation  to  God  remain  hke  that  of 
a  creature  to  his  creator  or  of  the  governed 
to  his  governor. 

In  India  too  there  are  dualists.  They 
beheve  in  an  extra-mundane  personal  God 
who  is  the  repository  of  all  blessed  quaUties, 
who  is  omnipotent,  omniscient,  and  all- 
loving;  who  creates  the  universe,  not  out  of 
nothing,  but  out  of  the  material  of  nature, 
which  is  eternal.  God  is  the  efficient  cause 
of  the  universe  and  nature  is  the  material 
cause.  They  do  not  believe  that  the  human 
soul  comes  into  existence  all  of  a  sudden  and 
has  a  beginning,  as  the  Christians  do,  but 
that  it  existed  in  the  past  and  will  exist  in 
future  from  eternity  to  eternity.  They  say 
that  as  nature  is  eternal  so  are  the  individual 

souls.     Each  soul  after  remaining  potentially 
128 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

in  nature  for  some  time,  comes  out  of  the  causal 
state  at  the  beginning  of  a  new  cycle  of  crea- 
tion or  evolution,  and  manifests  in  gross  forms, 
one  after  another,  going  through  the  different 
grades  of  evolution  according  to  its  desires 
and  tendencies,  until  it  reaches  perfection. 
After  reading  the  New  Testament  one  cannot 
get  any  definite  conception  of  the  nature  of 
the  human  soul,  nor  of  its  destiny,  but  in  the 
duahstic  system  of  India  one  learns  that  the 
human  soul  is  Hke  an  infinitesimal  particle  of 
nature  containing  the  divine  light  of  intelli- 
gence and  divine  power  in  an  infinitely  small 
degree,  whose  duty  is  to  serve  God  through 
prayers,  good  deeds,  good  thoughts  and  love. 
God  loves  all,  and  He  can  be  loved  in  return. 
Those  who  worship  Him  through  unswerving 
devotion  and  unselfish  love  obtain  freedom 
from  the  dark  side  of  nature;  that  is,  from 
the  bondages  of  ignorance,  selfishness,  suffering, 
misery  and  all  other  imperfections;  and  after 
death  they  hve  a  life  of  bliss  and  perfection 

forever  in  the  presence  of  the  eternal  personal 
129 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

God.  This  is  salvation  according  to  the  dual- 
ists in  India.  They  do  not  mean  by  salvation 
going  to  heaven,  but  on  the  contrary,  hold 
that  heaven  is  a  realm  where  one  goes  to 
enjoy  the  results  of  one's  good  deeds,  and  at 
the  end  of  such  a  period  of  celestial  enjoyment 
one  comes  back  to  earth  and  is  born  again. 
Each  soul  is  bound  to  attain  this  salva- 
tion, sooner  or  later.  Those  who  do  wicked 
deeds  reap  the  results  of  their  actions 
and  thoughts,  not  by  going  to  any  place 
of  eternal  fire  and  punishment,  but  by  being 
born  again  and  again  until  they  reach  the 
state  of  spirituality,  devotion  and  righteous- 
ness. The  monotheists  in  India  do  not  be- 
lieve that  God  punishes  any  one,  as  He  is  the 
embodiment  of  Divine  love.  Nor  do  they 
believe  in  eternal  suffering,  nor  in  any  Satan 
or  creator  of  evil.  But  they  do  believe  in  a 
temporary  suffering  of  the  wicked,  which  is 
the  reaction  of  their  own  wicked  acts.  They 
do  not  blame    God  or  charge  Him  with  par- 

tiaHty,   they  do  not  blame  Satan,   but  they 
130 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

take  upon  their  own  shoulders  the  whole 
burden  of  responsibility.  These  dualists  be- 
lieve that  wherever  there  is  life  there  is  the 
manifestation  of  the  divine  hght  of  intelH- 
gence,  however  small  it  may  be,  however 
imperfect  the  expression  of  intelligence  may 
be.  From  the  minutest  insect  up  to  the  high- 
est gods  (Devas)  or  angels,  or  bright  spirits, 
each  individual  Hfe  is  filled  with  a  ray  of  that 
Divine  Sun.  They  sometimes  compare  God 
with  a  gigantic  magnet  and  the  individual 
soul  with  the  point  of  a  needle,  and  say  as  a 
magnet  attracts  a  needle  so  the  great  God 
attracts  the  individual  souls  toward  Him 
through  love,  and  magnetizes  them  as  it  were 
by  His  divine  grace  and  power.  Although 
they  believe  that  each  soul  is  separate  from 
God  and  from  other  souls,  yet  its  relation  to 
God  is  like  that  of  a  ray  to  the  sun  or  of  a 
spark  to  fire.  Their  conception  of  the  human 
soul  is  with  attributes,  with  quaUties  and  char- 
acter, with  mind,  intellect,  sense-powers,  and 

the  finer  particles  of  ethereal  matter  which 
131 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

give  foundation  to  grosser  physical  forms. 
In  short,  it  is  the  same  as  the  individual  ego, 
as  we  call  it,  or  the  spiritual  body  as  it  is  called 
in  the  New  Testament.  According  to  these 
duahsts,  God  can  be  worshipped  by  man 
through  various  relations,  such  as  by  calling 
Him  master,  or  father,  or  mother,  or  brother, 
or  friend,  or  son,  or  husband.  These  relations 
depend  upon  the  nature  and  characteristics 
of  the  worshipper.  Some  hke  to  think  of 
themselves  as  servants  of  God,  others  as 
friends,  or  brothers,  or  sons.  They  say,  as 
the  same  man  in  a  household  can  be  the  master 
in  relation  to  his  servants,  the  father  in  relation 
to  his  children,  a  friend,  a  brother,  or  a  hus- 
band in  relation  to  his  wife,  so  the  same  God 
can  appear  in  all  those  various  relations  to 
different  devotees  according  to  their  modes 
of  thinking.  Such  is  the  conception  of  the 
individual  soul  and  its  relation  to  God  accord- 
ing to  the  dualistic  thinkers  of  India. 

Next   to   the   dualistic   conception   of   God 

comes    that    of    the    quahfied    non-duaHsts, 
133 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

These  thinkers  go  a  little  deeper  than  the  dual- 
ists. Starting  from  the  dualistic  standpoint 
they  go  a  step  further  toward  the  realiza- 
tion of  Truth  and  of  man's  relation  to  God. 
According  to  them,  God  is  no  longer  extra- 
cosmic,  no  more  outside  of  and  separate  from 
the  universe,  but  He  is  intra-cosmic.  He  is 
no  longer  governor  from  the  outside,  but 
Aniarydmirij  inter- ruler.  He  is  immanent 
and  resident  in  nature.  He  interpenetrates 
every  particle  of  the  universe.  The  physical 
universe  is  His  gross  physical  body.  He  has 
infinite  eyes,  infinite  ears,  and  infinite  organs 
of  other  senses.  He  sees  through  the  eyes  of 
all  living  creatures  of  the  universe.  He  hears 
through  all  the  ears  that  exist  in  the  universe. 
He  has  infinite  heads.  The  wind  is  His  breath. 
His  mind  is  the  sum  total  of  individual  minds, 
or  in  other  words,  the  Cosmic  Mind.  His 
intellect  is  the  Cosmic  intellect.  His  soul  is 
the  Cosmic  Ego,  or  the  soul  of  the  universe. 
He  is  no  longer  the  creator  of  the  universe, 

or  one  w^ho  fashions  the  materials  of  nature 
133 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

and  gives  names  and  forms  to  the  phenomena 
from  outside  Hke  a  potter  or  a  carpenter. 
He  is  not  the  efficient  cause  alone,  as  the 
dualists  maintain,  but  He  is  both  efficient 
and  material  cause  of  the  universe.  He  cre- 
ates, that  is,  He  projects  into  the  physical 
space  the  phenomenal  forms  out  of  nature  or 
divine  energy  v^hich  is  in  His  body.  He  is 
the  one  living  Being  in  the  universe.  He  is 
the  one  stupendous  Whole,  and  we  are  but 
parts. 

In  that  process  of  projection  or  evolution 
of  nature,  infinite  numbers  of  individual  souls 
which  existed  in  His  body  from  the  begin- 
ningless  past,  come  out  on  the  physical  plane, 
take  forms,  play  their  parts  according  to  their 
desires,  and  fulfil  the  purpose  of  Hfe  by  going 
through  the  process  of  evolution.  Each  indi- 
vidual soul  is  like  a  spark  which  emanates 
from  the  huge  bonfire  of  God,  and  Hves  in  and 
through  God,  but  it  cannot  be  called  God. 
God    dwells    everywhere.     He    pervades    the 

universe  and  nature,  and  yet  He  transcends 
134 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

them  both.     He  is  infinite  but  personal,  with- 
out  any   human    form.     The   quaHfied   non- 
duahsts  say  that  God  cannot  be  confined  to 
any  form,  because  every  form  is  a  Hmitation 
in  space  by  time,  while  God  is  unHmited  by 
space  or  time.     He  is  beyond  space  and  time. 
Still,  He    can    appear    in    various    forms    to 
satisfy  the  desires  of  His  worshippers.     Our 
body  is  a  part  of  God's  body,  our   mind  is  a 
part  of  the  divine  or  universal  mind,  our  will  is 
a  part  of  the  universal  or  cosmic  will.     This 
is  called   the  quahfied    non-duaHstic  concep- 
tion of  God,  because  it  looks  at  unity  as  quaH- 
fied by  variety.     That  is,  God  is  one,  the  uni- 
verse and  human  souls  are  one  in  God,  yet 
each  retains   its   own  separate  individuahty. 
God  is  Hke  a  tree  and  we  are  like  branches 
thereof.     It  reminds  me  of  the  simile  of  the 
vine  and  its  branches  which  Jesus  the  Christ 
gave  to  show  man's  relation  to   God.     The 
same  idea  underUes  His  saying,  ''My  Father 
is  greater  than  I."     According  to  this  class 

of  thinkers  the  individual  soul  possesses  all 
135 


^^edanta  Philosophy. 

the  quabties  of  the  ^uman  ego.  As  our  ego 
has  mind,  intellect,  sense-power,  memory, 
and  is  hmited  by  other  egos,  so  is  the  soul. 
After  the  death  of  the  body  the  soul  contracts 
its  quahties  within  itself,  and  at  the  time  of 
its  birth  it  expands  those  latent  powers.  Our 
ego  or  soul  is  a  part  of  the  cosmic  ego,  or  the 
soul  of  the  universe,  or  God. 

Next  to  these  comes  the  class  of  monistic 
or  non-duahstic  thinkers.  They  do  not  stop 
where  the  quahfied  non-duahsts  have  stopped, 
but  they  push  their  investigations  still  further, 
and  analyze  the  nature  of  the  individual  soul 
or  ego,  and  ultimately  discover  the  unchange- 
able essence  of  the  ego.  They  are  the  seekers 
of  the  unchangeable  reality  of  the  universe. 
In  their  search  they  will  not  stop  until  they 
have  reached  that  Truth  which  is  immutable, 
eternal  and  one.  They  adopt  the  scientific 
methods  of  analysis,  observation  and  experi- 
ment, and  apply  them  to  solve  the  subtlest 
and  most  abstract  problems.     Analyzing  the 

nature  of  the  ego,  they  find  that  it  cannot  be 
X36 


The  Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

the  unchangeable  reahty  or  immutable  Truth, 
because  the  mind,  with  its  various  modifications, 
such  as  intellect,  memor>',  etc.,  is  constantly 
changing.  After  patient  research  and  con- 
tinuous struggle  to  know  the  ultimate  Truth, 
these  great  monistic  sages  reahzed  that  the 
ego,  or  the  individual  soul,  is  nothing  but  a 
changeful  receptacle  of  a  still  subtler  sub- 
stance, which  is  unchangeable  and  eternal. 
They  called  it  the  Atman  in  Sanskrit. 

There  is  no  word  in  the  Enghsh  language 
which  conveys  the  meaning  of  this  Atman. 
It  is  much  finer  than  ego  or  the  Hving  soul 
of  the  individual.  Atman  is  the  uncondi- 
tioned reahty  in  man;  and  the  hving  soul  or 
the  individual  ego  is  the  subtle  covering  of 
the  Atman,  hke  the  globe  that  covers  the 
hght  of  a  lamp.  That  Atman  is  not  a  part 
of  the  universal  ego,  but  it  is  one  with  the  un- 
conditioned Reahty  of  the  universe,  which 
is  called  in  Sanskrit  Brahman,  or  the  All- 
pervading  Spirit,  or  the  Absolute.  Some- 
times it  is  caUed  Paramatman,  which  was 
137 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

translated  by  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  as 
Over-Soul.  It  is  finer  than  the  Cosmic  Ego 
or  God.  It  is  sexless,  neither  masculine  nor 
feminine.  It  is  sometimes  translated  by  the 
Oriental  scholars  as  the  Self.  But  Self  is  a 
confusing  word.  Some  people  mistake  it 
for  the  Anglo-Saxon  self,  which  acts  and 
progresses,  and  which  is  another  name  for 
the  ego. 

According  to  the  non-duahstic  conception 
of  the  true  nature  of  man,  the  Atman  or  the 
Self,  or  the  spiritual  essence  of  man,  is  the 
same  as  the  Brahman,  the  spiritual  or  divine 
essence  of  the  universe.  The  relation  of  the 
true  nature  of  man  to  God  is  no  longer  like 
that  of  a  creature  to  the  Creator,  nor  like 
that  of  a  son  to  his  father,  nor  like  that  of  a 
part  to  the  whole,  but  it  is  absolute  oneness 
on  the  highest  spiritual  plane.  The  Atman, 
or  the  divine  nature  of  man,  is  the  same  as 
the  absolute  divinity  of  the  Cosmos.  On 
that  highest  spiritual  plane  there  is  no  dis- 
tinction, no  idea  of  separation,  no  idea  of 
X38 


The   Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

creation.  All  ideas  of  separatencss,  all  differ- 
entiations of  phenomenal  names  and  forms, 
merge  into  the  absolute  ocean  of  reality  which 
is  unchangeable,  eternal  and  one.  The  essence 
of  the  Creator  is  infinite,  and  it  interpenetrates 
the  phenomenal  forms  as  the  external  space 
pervades  every  particle  of  atoms  of  the  phe- 
nomenal world.  That  essence  is  Hke  the  all- 
pervading  background  of  the  phenomenal 
appearances.  Phenomena  are  Hke  the  waves 
in  the  ocean  of  Infinite  ReaHty.  Individual 
souls  are  like  so  many  bubbles  in  that  ocean 
of  Absolute  Existence.  As  a  bubble  rises 
on  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  takes  a  form, 
lives  there,  comes  near  other  bubbles,  hvesin 
a  group  for  some  time,  moves  in  the  company 
of  others,  changes  its  size,  perhaps,  and  goes 
down  again;  so  the  individual  soul  rises  in 
that  ocean  of  infinite  existence,  appears  in 
various  forms,  passes  through  the  different 
stages  of  evolution,  and  lives  there  for  ever 
and   ever,    sometimes   as   manifested   and   at 

other  times  as  unmanifested.     The  light  of 
139 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

intelligence  in  the  soul  or  ego  is  due  to  the 
reflection  of  the  Atman  or  Divine  Spirit  on 
the  mirror  of  the  heart  of  the  ego  or  soul. 
Therefore  the  soul  is  called  the  image  or 
reflection  of  the  Atman  or  Divine  Spirit. 

This  idea  is  beautifully  expressed  in  one 
of  the  Upanishads:  "In  the  cave  of  our 
heart  have  entered  the  two — the  Atman  or 
the  Divine  Spirit,  and  the  individual  ego  or 
soul.  Dwelling  on  the  highest  summit,  or  the 
ether  of  the  heart,  the  one  witnesses  the  other, 
while  the  soul  drinks  the  rewards  of  its  own 
works.  The  vdse  men  and  sages  describe 
the  one  as  the  light,  and  the  other  as  the 
reflection,  image  or  shadow."  (Katha  Upani- 
shad,  ch.  iii,  verse  i.)  You  will  notice  here 
what  a  deep  meaning  lies  at  the  back  of  the 
expression,  ''Man  is  the  image  of  God." 
The  ancient  Vedic  sages  used  the  same  expres- 
sion in  a  sense  which  many  of  the  best  philoso- 
phers of  the  Western  world  have  failed  to 
grasp  or  comprehend.  Thus  the  most  ancient 
Monistic  sages  explained  the  highest  relation 

140 


The   Relation  of  Soul  to  God. 

of  the  individual  soul  to  Atman  or  Divine 
Spirit,  by  calling  it  the  reflection  or  image  of 
the  Self-elTulgent  Light  of  God.  But  as  a 
reflection  cannot  exist  independent  of  the 
light  whose  reflection  it  is,  so  the  soul  of  man 
cannot  exist  independent  of  Atman.  There- 
fore the  true  nature  of  the  soul  is  Atman, 
the  divine  and  real  spirit  which  cannot  be 
divided  into  parts  and  is  One  Absolute  Source 
of  existence,  intelHgence  and  bliss.  Such  is 
the  monistic  or  non-duahstic  explanation  of 
the  relation  of  the  soul  to  God. 

Vedanta  philosophy  recognizes  these  three 
explanations.  It  says  that  the  relation  of 
the  soul  to  God  varies  as  the  conception  of 
the  individual  soul  and  of  God  becomes  finer 
and  higher.  Starting  from  the  gross  form  of 
body,  when  a  real  and  earnest  seeker  after 
Truth  marches  onward  toward  the  Absolute, 
he  passes  through  all  the  intermediate  stages 
until  he  reaches  that  state  of  di\'ine  communion 
where  he  realizes  the  oneness  of  the  Atman, 

or  the  true  nature  of  man  with  Brahman,  the 
141 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

cosmic  Divine  essence,  or  the  Absolute  Real- 
ity of  the  universe.  Then  he  declares,  I  am 
Brahman,  I  am  He,  I  am  in  the  sun,  in  the 
moon,  in  stars;  I  am  one  with  the  All-per- 
vading Reality;  or  as  Jesus  the  Christ  said, 
"I  and  my  Father  are  one."  He  does  not 
use  the  word  *'I"  in  its  ordinary  sense  of  ego 
or  human  personaUty,  but  in  the  sense  of 
Atman,  or  Divine  essence.  Jesus  was  a  dual- 
ist when  He  prayed  to  His  Father  in  heaven, 
and  he  was  a  monist  when  He  said,  "I  and 
my  Father  are  one,"  ''The  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  within  you."  A  Vedanta  philosopher  or 
sage  after  reaHzing  that  absolute  oneness  on 
the  highest  spiritual  plane  of  the  Atman,  says, 
when  he  returns  to  the  plane  of  relativity  and 
phenomena: 

"O  Lord,  when  I  think  of  my  body,  I  am 
Thy  servant  and  Thou  art  my  Master;  when 
I  look  at  my  soul,  I  am  Thy  part  and  Thou 
art  the  one  stupendous  Whole;  but  when  I 
realize  my  true  nature,  I  am  divine  and  one 
with  Thee,  the  Absolute  Spirit.     Such  is  my 

conception  of  my  relation  to  Thee." 
142 


what  is  an  Incarnation  of  God? 


"The  Lord  says:  'Whenever  religion  declines  and 
irreligion  prevails  I  manifest  myself  to  protect  the  right- 
eous, to  destroy  evil  and  to  establish  true  religion*" — 
Bhagavad  Gita  iv,  7,  8. 


what  is  an  Incarnation  of  God? 

Two  great  religions  of  the  world  advocate 
the  belief  that  God,  the  supreme  Ruler  of 
the  universe,  incarnates  in  human  form  to 
help  mankind— the  one  is  Christianity,  the 
other  is  the  rehgion  of  Vedanta  which  pre- 
vails in  India. 

Christianity,  believing  in  the  existence  of 
one  personal  God  who  is  the  creator,  governor 
and  Father  of  the  universe,  teaches  that  this 
heavenly  Father  incarnated  Himself  in  human 
form  as  Jesus  the  Christ  to  show  His  love. 
His  mercy  and  kindness  for  His  suffering  chil- 
dren as  well  as  to  save  the  world  from  eternal 
perdition.  It  may  be  interesting  to  many 
to  know  how  this  doctrine  of  divine  incarna- 
tion,  unknown   to   the   earhest   Christians  of 

the  first  centur>^  after  Christ,  graduaUy  grew 
145 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

and  developed  into  its  present  fonn.  Readers 
of  ecclesiastical  history  are  well  aware  of 
the  fact  that  no  problem  troubled  the 
minds  of  the  founders  of  the  Christian  church 
and  of  Christian  theology  so  much  as  this 
one  of  the  divine  incarnation  of  Jesus  the 
Christ.  During  the  early  periods  of  church 
history,  indeed,  no  other  question  was  con- 
sidered to  be  of  such  vital  importance  as  that 
of  the  heavenly  Father's  incarnation  in  the 
form  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Although  for 
many  of  the  uneducated  masses  this  problem 
appears  to  have  been  satisfactorily  solved  by 
the  wonderfully  subtle  and  apparently  logical 
arguments  of  certain  priests  and  theologians, 
still  it  is  not  unknown  to  the  educated  classes 
that  the  acceptance  of  their  solution  depended 
largely  upon  priestly  power,  upon  anathema 
and  upon  the  persecution  of  those  who  refused 
to  receive  these  arguments  as  the  only  correct 
solution  of  the  problem. 

Let  us  go  back  for  a  moment  to  that  time 
when    Constantine    the     Great    settled    the 

146 


What  Is  an   Incarnation  of  God  ? 

disputes  of  the  bishops  regarding  the  incarna- 
tion of  the  Supreme  Being  in  the  form  of  the 
Son  of  Man.  In  the  first  place  we  should 
remember  that  the  modern  Christian  idea  of 
divine  incarnation  is  founded  upon  the  belief 
in  the  Trinitarian  doctrine  of  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  in  the  memorable  text 
of  the  First  Epistle  of  John:  ''For  there  are 
three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father, 
the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  these 
three  are  one "  (ch.  v.  7).  Before  the  doc- 
trine of  the  divine  incarnation  of  Jesus  the 
Christ  was  estabhshed  and  accepted  by  the 
church,  the  early  Christians  beheved  in  the 
Trinity  and  constantly  discussed  the  most 
subtle  and  profound  questions  concerning 
the  nature,  generation,  distinction  and  quaUties 
of  the  three  divine  persons  of  the  mysterious 
triad.  At  that  time  the  majority  of  Chris- 
tian thinkers  beheved  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
as  the  son  of  God,  but  they  did  not  dare  de- 
clare that  he  was   "God  himself  in  human 

form,"    the   second   principle   of   the   blessed 
147 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

Trinity.  It  was  Justin  Martyr,  a  Christian 
convert  of  the  Platonic  school  and  a  believer 
in  the  Platonic  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  who 
about  the  middle  of  the  second  century  for  the 
first  time  promulgated  the  idea  that  Jesus 
the  Christ,  the  son  of  God,  was  the  second 
person  in  the  Triune  Deity  and  the  creator 
of  the  universe.  He  is  the  earHest  writer  to 
whom  the  origin  of  this  idea  can  be  traced, 
and  he  did  not  ascribe  his  opinion  to  the 
Scriptures  but  to  the  special  favor  of  God. 

The  Trinitarian  controversies  which  first 
broke  out  in  the  Christian  schools  of  Alexan- 
dria in  Egypt,  the  land  of  Trinities,  took  a 
new  form  during  the  time  of  Constantine  the 
Great,  the  chief  point  of  debate  being  to  define 
the  relation  of  the  son  to  the  Father.  The 
church  of  Alexandria  was  the  most  powerful 
of  all  the  churches  at  this  period,  and  it  was 
ruled  by  Trinitarian  bishops  who  took  part 
in  all  these  discussions.  One  of  the  most 
prominent  candidates  for  the  office  of  bishop 

was  Arius,   the   celebrated   originator  of  the 
148 


What  is  an  Incarnation  of  God  ? 

Arian  doctrines  and  a  Trcsbytcr  of  the  Alexan- 
drian  church.     He   and   his   followers  main- 
tained,  in    opposition  to    the  other  bishops, 
that  the  son  of  God  was  merely  a  creature  or 
a  created  being,  that  there  was  a  time  when 
he  did  not  exist.     He  said:  "If  the  Father 
begat  the  Son,  he  that  was  begotten  had  a 
beginning  in  existence;    from   this   it   is   e\i- 
dent  that  there  was  a  time  when  the  Son  was 
not  in  being,  it  therefore  follows  that  he  had 
his  existence  from  nothing."     This  argument 
was  the  strongest  of  all  the  blows  which  were 
given  to  the  Trinitarian  doctrine,  as  well  as 
the  most  potent  against  the  divinity  of  Jesus 
the   Christ,   because   it   evidently   denied   the 
co-eternity    of   the    Father    and    the    Son   by 
proving  the  subordination  of  the  Son  to  the 
Father,   and,   in  consequence,   inequality  be- 
tween them.     It  also  indirectly  implied  that 
there  was  a  time  when  the  blessed  Trinity  did 
not  exist. 
The    question    was    vehemently    discussed 

again  and  again  in  public  debates  by  bishops 
li9 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

and  Christians,  and  gradually  the  strife 
spread  so  far  that  the  Jews  and  pagans  amused 
themselves  by  giving  theatrical  representa- 
tions of  the  contest  on  the  stage,  the  point 
of  their  burlesques  being  the  equality  of  the 
age  of  the  father  and  son.  The  violence  of 
the  controversy  at  last  reached  the  point 
where  imperial  force  was  needed  for  the  deci- 
sion. Emperor  Constantine,  1  eing  referred 
to,  summoned  the  council  of  Nicca  in  327  a.d. 
and  settled  the  dispute  of  the  bishops  by 
formulating  the  famous  Nicean  creed  and  at- 
taching to  it  the  anathema:  "The  holy  CathoHc 
and  Apostolic  Church  anathematizes  those 
who  say  that  there  was  a  time  when  the  Son 
of  God  was  not,  that  before  he  was  begotten, 
he  was  not,  and  that  he  was  made  out  of 
nothing  or  out  of  another  substance  or  essence 
and  is  created  or  changeable  or  alterable." 

In  this  manner  the  so-called  satisfactory 
solution  of  that  most  bewildering  problem 
of  the  divine  incarnation  of  Jesus  was  arrived 

at,  and  it  was  accepted,  not  because  of  the 
150 


What   is  an    Incarnation  of  God  ? 

unanimous  opinion  of  all  the  members  of  the 
council,  but  simply  because  the  majority  of 
the  bishops  were  in  favor  of  it.  After  this 
decision  Arius  was  excommunicated  for  his 
heretical  ideas,  while  his  followers,  who  were 
quite  numerous,  were  cruelly  persecuted  and 
their  writings  destroyed.  Since  that  time 
the  bishops  and  clergy  have  been  forced  to 
accept  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  as  also  that 
of  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

Although  the  question  of  the  incarnation 
of  the  omnipresent,  omnipotent  and  omnis- 
cient heavenly  Father  in  human  form  was 
thus  apparently  solved  by  the  church  and 
theologians,  still  it  has  not  ceased  to  rise 
again  and  again  in  the  thoughtful  minds  of 
different  people  in  different  countries,  dis- 
turbing their  peace  and  frequently  driving 
them  into  agnostic  and  atheistic  behefs. 
Many  a  soul  has  often  cried  aloud  in  despair: 
"What  a  revolting  absurdity  it  is  to  think 
that  the  infinite  and  almighty  Creator  and 
Ruler  of  the  infinite  universe  should  be  born 

151 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

in  a  manger,  should  suffer  from  hunger  and 
thirst,  should  be  tempted  by  the  devil,  chas- 
tised and  scourged  by  ordinary  mortals  and 
forced  to  ignominious  death  upon  the  cross!" 
Devout  Christians  do  not  dare  to  see  this 
absurdity  or  to  express  their  opinion  for  fear 
of  blasphemy  and  punishment;  but  truth- 
seeking,  rational  minds  cannot  rest  content 
with  mere  doctrines  and  dogmas  based  upon 
the  quicksand  of  the  authority  of  some  book 
or  person. 

The  question  presents  itself:  "Is  there 
any  other  way  of  understanding  what  is 
meant  by  an  incarnation  of  God?"  Outside 
of  the  Christian  reHgion,  there  is  one  other 
rehgion  or  rehgious  philosophy — that  of  Ve- 
danta— which  explains  through  reason  and 
logic  the  problem  of  divine  incarnation  in 
human  form  upon  this  earth.  India  is  the 
only  country  where  the  origin  of  this  idea  can 
be  traced  back  and  where  the  behef  has  pre- 
vailed from  prehistoric  times.     Long  before 

Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  recognized  as  the  incar- 
152 


What  Is  an  Incarnation  of  God? 

nation  of  divinity,  the  Hindus  had  a  clear 
conception  of  this  idea.  Volumes  upon  vol- 
umes have  been  written  in  Sanskrit  describing 
why  and  how  the  Supreme  Being  manifests 
Itself  in  human  form  at  different  times  among 
different  nations. 

One  of  the  principal  points  in  which  the 
Hindus  differ  from  the  Christians  is  in  main- 
taining that,  if  God  incarnates  or  expresses 
His  divinity  in  human  form,  His  incarnation 
cannot  be  hmited  by  time,  place  or  nationahty. 
The  Hindus  beheve  that  there  were  many  incar- 
nations before  and  have  been  many  since  the 
advent  of  Christ,  and  that  all  these  incarna- 
tions of  God  are  equal  in  greatness,  majesty, 
wisdom  and  divine  powers,  especially  in  the 
power  of  saving  mankind  by  setting  forth  the 
highest  ideal  of  life  and  by  leading  men  from 
the  path  of  unrighteousness  to  the  uUimate 
goal  of  all  religions.     Who  could  have  under- 
stood and  reahzed  the  highest  aim  and  pur- 
pose  of   human    existence,    who    could   have 

solved   the   most   bewildering   questions   and 
153 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

problems  concerning  the  true  nature  and  des- 
tiny of  human  souls,  if  God  himself  had  not 
revealed  these  things  to  mankind  from  time 
immemorial?  Could  ordinary  human  beings 
with  their  short-sighted  intellect  and  imper- 
fect understanding,  hving  constantly  on  the 
animal  plane  of  the  senses,  deluded  by  the 
phantoms  of  phenomenal  appearances  and 
always  mistaking  the  unreal  for  the  real,  have 
ever  discovered  the  ultimate  purpose  of  life 
and  the  true  nature  and  destiny  of  human 
souls?  Think  of  the  innumerable  opinions 
of  atheists  and  agnostics,  materialists  and 
thinkers  of  different  capacities  which  have 
bewildered  the  intellect  and  understanding 
of  the  vast  majority  of  people! 

All  true  knowledge  is  but  the  expression 
of  divine  wisdom.  All  the  powers  that  make 
one  great,  spiritual,  righteous  and  wise,  are 
only  the  divine  powers  manifesting  through 
human  forms.  Therefore  it  is  said  in  Ve- 
danta: ''AH  that  is  glorious,  grand,  extremely 

righteous  or  spiritual,  is  the  outcome  of  the 
154 


What  is  an  Incarnation  of  God  ? 

powers  which  proceed  from  the  infinite  source 
of  all  forces  and  of  all  energy  in  nature.  Wher- 
ever there  is  anything  that  is  extraordinary  or 
unusually  uphfting  to  the  soul,  there  is  a 
special  expression  of  the  divine  power." 

According  to  the  religion  of  Vedanta,  the 
incarnation  of  God  means  the  embodiment 
of  divine  qualities  and  divine  powers.  It  takes 
place  whenever  and  wherever  such  a  mani- 
festation is  necessary.  The  blessed  Lord 
Krishna,  one  of  the  great  incarnations  of  di- 
vinity, who  appeared  about  fourteen  hundred 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  in  speaking 
of  divine  incarnations,  said : 

"Wherever  true  reHgion  declines  and  irre- 
ligion  prevails  and  whenever  the  vast  majority 
of  mankind,  forgetting  the  highest  ideal  of 
life,  travel  on  the  path  of  unrighteousness 
which  leads  to  the  bottomless  abyss  of  igno- 
rance, miseiy  and  sorrow,  the  Supreme  Being 
manifests  His  divine  powers  to  estabHsh 
righteousness  and  true  spirituahty  by  assum- 
ing a  human  form  and  living  in  our  midst,  but 
155 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

at  the  same  time  showing  to  all  that  He  is 
the  real  master  of  nature  and  absolutely  free 
from  all  the  bondages  of  the  world  and  its 
laws." 

Such  embodiments  may  take  place  at  any 
time  in  any  country.  The  Hindus  beHeve 
that  there  have  been  many  such  incarnations 
of  divinity  in  the  past  and  that  there  will  be 
many  in  the  future.  Krishna,  Buddha,  Jesus 
the  Christ,  Chaitanya,  Ramakrishna,  each 
one  of  these  has  been  considered  to  be  the 
embodiment  of  divine  qualities  and  divine 
powers.  The  hves  and  deeds  of  all  of  them 
were  superhuman,  consequently  divine.  They 
were  full  of  the  manifestations  of  such  powers 
as  ordinary  mortals  do  not  possess. 

A    divine    incarnation    is    one    who    shows 

from  childhood  that  he  is  a  born  master  of 

mind,   body  and  senses,   and  the  real  Lord 

of  nature,  yet  who  never  forgets  even  for  a 

moment  that  he  has  come  to  the  world  to  help 

mankind.     He    is    always    conscious    of    his 

divine  power  and  he  manifests  divine  glory 
156 


What  IS  an  Incarnation  of  God? 

through  every  action  of  his  daily  life.  He 
never  loses  consciousness  of  his  oneness  with 
the  eternal  Truth,  or  the  Father  of  the  uni- 
verse, the  infinite  source  of  wisdom  and  intelli- 
gence. He  lives  in  the  world  like  an  embodied 
soul,  possessing  perfect  peace,  tranquillity, 
happiness  and  blissfulness,  without  depend- 
ing upon  the  conditions  and  environments 
which  apparently  bind  the  souls  of  ordinary 
mortals. 

The  difference  between  an  ordinary  human 
being  and  an  incarnation  of  God  Hes  in  the 
fact  that  the  individual  soul  of  a  common 
man  takes  birth  subject  to  the  laws  of  Karma j 
or  the  laws  of  causation  and  of  action  and 
reaction,  in  order  to  reap  the  results  of  the 
works  of  his  previous  births  and  to  fulfil  the 
desires  that  are  latent  in  him;  while  a  di\dne 
incarnation  is  the  embodiment  of  his  own 
free  mil,  which  alone  governs  him.  Being 
absolutely  free  he  is  not  forced  by  the  law  of 
Karma  or  any  other  law  to  take  a  human 

body,  nor  does  he  wish  to  fulfil  any  of  those 
157 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

desires  that  proceed  from  the  selfish  nature 
of  ordinary  mortals.  His  soul  is  not  subject 
to  the  law  of  evolution  like  that  of  any  other 
being.  He  is  absolutely  perfect  from  the  very 
moment  that  he  assumes  human  form  through 
the  inscrutable  power  of  his  own  omnipotent, 
supreme  will  or  Maya.  Although  such  an 
incarnation  of  God  is  beyond  birth  and 
death,  he  still  apparently  submits,  for  the  time 
being,  to  the  conditions  of  the  human  plane, 
and  obeys  the  laws  that  govern  that  plane; 
yet  at  the  same  time  he  makes  people  realize 
that  he  is  the  master  of  nature,  not  its  slave, 
and  that  in  reaHty  he  does  not  obey  its  laws 
but  that  the  laws  of  nature  obey  his  om- 
nipotent will.  Ordinary  people,  whose  spir- 
itual eyes  are  not  open,  may  not  see  the  differ- 
ence that  exists  between  his  actions  and  those 
of  a  common  mortal  and  may  treat  him  Hke 
an  ordinary  man;  but  those  who  are  highly 
advanced  in  spirituality,  who  understand 
the  true  nature  of  the  individual  soul  and  of 

God   and   of  their  mutual   relation,   see   the 
158 


What  is  an  Incarnation  of  God"? 

difference  at  once,  recognize  his  divinity 
and  worship  him  as  the  ideal  embodiment 
of  divine  powers  and  divine  quahties. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  blessed  Lord 
Krishna,  the  Hindu  Christ,  says  in  the  Bha- 
gavad  Gita:  "People  who  are  deluded  by  my 
mysterious  power  of  Maya,  do  not  know  Me 
as  unborn  and  unchanging;  I  am  not  manifest 
to  them.  The  unintelligent  regard  Me  in 
the  light  of  an  ordinary  being  with  a  material 
form  which  is  the  result  of  past  actions,  and 
know  not  that  I  assume  at  will  glorious  and 
holy  forms  for  the  protection  of  the  world." 

The  rehgion  of  Vedanta  teaches  that  such 

incarnations   of  Divinity  are  not  Hmited  by 

distinctions  of  sex;  they  may  appear  in  mas- 

cuUne  or  in  feminine  form  according  to  the 

needs  of  the  time  and  place.     To  the  sexless 

Supreme  Being  who  is  both  the  Father  and 

Mother  of  the  Universe,   the  masculine  and 

the   feminine   form   are   of   equal   value   and 

importance.     It  is  for  this  reason  that  amongst 

the  Hindus  in  India  are  to  be  found  many 
159 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

incarnations    of     Divinity    in    the    form    of 
woman. 

The  latest  divine  incarnation  was  one  who 
appeared  in  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  He  Hved  near  Calcutta  and  his 
name  was  Ramakrishna.  He  is  to-day  wor- 
shipped by  thousands  of  educated  Hindus 
just  in  the  same  way  as  Jesus  the  Christ 
is  adored  and  worshipped  in  Christendom. 
From  his  childhood  he  showed  his  divine 
power  and  set  an  example  of  absolute  purity 
and  divine  spirituality,  like  an  embodiment 
of  those  blessed  quahties  which  adorned  the 
characters  of  previous  incarnations,  such  as 
Krishna,  Buddha,  or  Jesus  the  Christ.  Those 
who  had  the  good  fortune  to  see  and  be  with 
him  even  for  a  short  time,  had  their  eyes 
opened  to  the  truth  that  he  was  absolutely 
superhuman.  Although  he  had  received  no 
school  education,  his  wisdom  was  vast.  He 
was  the  storehouse,  as  it  were,  of  unHmited 
knowledge,  and  he  showed  at  every  moment 

of  his  Hfe  that  he  was  the  absolute  master  of 
160 


What  is  an  Incarnation  of  God  ? 

his  mind,  body  and  senses,  that  he  was  entirely 
free  from  all  the  conditions  that  make  an 
ordinary  mortal  a  slave  to  passions  and  desires. 
He  was  Hke  the  personification  of  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount.  No  one  could  ever  find  the 
slightest  flaw  in  his  noble  and  divine  char- 
acter.* 

At  one  time  he  was  asked:  "What  is  the 
difference  between  a  holy  sage  and  an  incarna- 
tion of  God  who  is  called  the  Saviour  of  man- 
kind?" He  answered:  "A  holy  sage  is  one 
who  has  realized  God  through  great  pain, 
long  prayers  and  severe  penances  and  after 
much  trouble  has  saved  himself  from  the 
attractions  of  the  world,  but  he  has  not  the 
power  to  save  others;  while  a  Saviour  is  one 
who  can  easily  save  hundreds  without  losing 
his  own  spirituality.  A  holy  sage  may  be 
compared  to  a  reed  floating  in  the  ocean  of 

*  Those  who  wish  to  know  more  about  thr  li' 
i-   divine  man  and  why  he  is  worshippe  ' 
•  J      1   ar    of   mankind,    may   read    Swami    Viv 
nanda's   lecture  on   "My    Master,"    or"    Lue    ani, 
Sayings  of  Ramakrishna, "  by  Prof.  Max  Miiller 
161 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

life,  which  cannot  bear  the  weight  of  even  a 
crow,  but  when  a  Saviour  descends  He 
easily  carries  thousands  across  the  ocean 
like  a  large,  powerful  steamer  which  moves 
swiftly  over  the  waters  towing  rafts  and 
barges  in  its  wake.  The  Saviour,  like  the 
most  powerful  locomotive,  not  only  reaches 
the  destination  himself,  but  at  the  same  time 
draws  with  him  loads  of  passengers  eager 
to  go  to  the  abode  eternal  of  Truth." 

Such  is  the  power  and  strength  of  an  in- 
carnation of  God.  An  ordinary  person  may 
strive  and  after  a  long  struggle  may  attain  to 
the  reaHzation  of  truth  which  is  salvation, 
but  with  a  Saviour,  this  is  not  the  way;  he 
comes  to  help  and  save  others.  Whosoever 
worships  and  is  devoted  to  any  of  these  Sa- 
viours will,  through  that  power  of  devotion 
alone,  reach  the  ultimate  goal  of  all  religions. 
As  Jesus  the  Christ  said:  ''Come  unto  me 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest,"  so  the  other  incarnations 

of  Divinity  Hke  Ramakrishna,   Buddha  and 
162 


What  is  an  Incarnation  of  God? 

Krishna  spoke   to   their  followers,   saying  in 

the  words  of  Krishna: 

"Giving  up  all  the  formaHties  of  religion, 

come  unto  me,  take  refuge  in  me  and  I  will 

give  thee  rest  and  make  thee  free  from  sins; 

grieve  not,  I  will  also  give  thee  eternal  peace 

and  everlasting  happiness." 
163 


Son  of  God. 


"The  Divine  Lord  says:  M  portion  of  Myself  hath 
become  the  living  Soul  in  the  -world  of  life  from  time  with- 
out  beginning,* " — Bhagavad  Gita,  5cv,  7. 


Son  of  God. 

It   is   a   general   belief   among   Christians 

that  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago  the  only 

begotten   Son   of   God   descended   upon   this 

earth  to  save  the  souls  of  sinners  from  eternal 

perdition.     Thoughtful  people,  however,  may 

wish  to  enquire  into  the  true  significance  of 

this   expression   "Son   of   God."     Again   and 

again  are  asked  the  questions:  ''Why  should 

Jesus    the   Christ   alone   be   called   the   only 

begotten  son  of  God?"  "In  what  sense  was 

he   the   son  of  the   heavenly   Father?"     "Is 

not  every  individual  a  child  of  the  heavenly 

Father  when  it  is  said  in  the   14th  chapter 

of  Deuteronomy,  'Ye  are  the  children  of  the 

Lord  your   God;'  or  when  Moses   said,   'Is 

not  he  thy  father  that  hath  bought  thee,  hath 

he  not  made   thee   and   established   thee?'" 
167 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

(Deut.  xxxii,  6.)  And  the  Hindu  asks: 
"Why  should  we  not  recognize  the  divine 
sonship  in  Krishna,  Buddha,  Ramakrishna 
and  in  other  Saviours  of  the  world?" 

All  these  and  similar  questions  disturb 
the  minds  of  those  who  are  not  satisfied  with 
the  sectarian  explanations  regarding  the  son- 
ship  of  Jesus  the  Christ  which  they  have  been 
hearing  over  and  over  again  from  their  child- 
hood. Of  course  we  have  nothing  to  say 
to  those  whose  minds  are  contented  with  such 
explanations,  or  who  beheve  in  the  Hteral 
meaning  of  the  passages  descriptive  of  the 
supernatural  birth  and  miraculous  deeds  of 
the  only  begotten  son  of  God.  But  there 
are  many  who  do  not  believe  in  miracles, 
who  do  not  accept  anything  upon  hearsay 
or  because  it  has  been  written  in  a  certain 
book  or  been  declared  by  a  certain  great 
personage.  They  wish  to  go  to  the  very 
bottom  of  things  before  they  accept  them 
as  true;  they  want  to  know  in  what  sense  the 

divine  sonship  of  the  heavenly  Father  was 
168 


Son  of  God. 

understood    by    Jesus    of   Nazareth    and    his 
direct  disciples. 

It  is  extremely  difficult  for  any  one  to  know 
exactly  what  Jesus  meant  by  his  sonship  since 
he  has  left  no  writings  of  his  own.  We  can  only 
gather  some  idea  from  the  interpretations  of 
his  followers  and  from  the  writers  of  the  four 
authentic  gospels.  After  studying  carefully 
the  synoptic  gospels  we  learn  that  there  were 
among  the  authors  of  these  books  two  concep- 
tions of  the  son  of  God.  Matthew  and  Luke 
accepted  Jesus  the  Christ  as  the  only  begotten 
son  of  God  because  of  his  supernatural  birth, 
which  was  caused  by  the  inscrutable  power 
of  the  heavenly  Father.  According  to  these 
two  Gospels  it  was  a  miracle;  and  upon 
this  miraculous  conception  of  Mary  and  the 
supernatural  birth  of  Jesus  depends  the 
popular  meaning  of  the  divine  sonship  of  Jesus 
the  Christ.  All  the  orthodox  sects  and  denom- 
inations of  Christianity,  accepting  the  mira- 
cles described  in  :Matthew  and  Luke  as  lit- 
erally true,  give  this  miraculous  birth  as  the 
169 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

reason  why  Jesus  alone  should  be  called  the 

only   begotten   son    of    God.     They    do    not 

recognize  that  other  Saviours  of  the  world, 

like    Buddha    and    Krishna,    had    a    similar 

supernatural  birth  and  that  their  deeds  were 

as  miraculous  as  those  of  Jesus  the  Christ. 

If  we  ignore  them,  it  will  be  quite  easy  for 

us  to   accept  Jesus   the   Christ   as   the  only 

begotten  son  of  God. 

The  other  conception  of  the  son  of  God 

which  we  find  in  the  fourth  gospel,   has  a 

very  deep  philosophical  significance.     Before 

we  discuss  this  point,  let  us  understand  clearly 

what  conception  of  God  the  Jews  had  both 

before  and  after  the  time  of  Jesus  the  Christ. 

We  know  that  the  Jewish  idea  of  God  was 

at  that  time  purely  monotheistic.     The  God 

of  Judaism  was  the  creator  and  governor  of 

the  universe;  He  dwelt  in  a  heaven  far  above 

mundane    existence;  He    was    so    high    and 

separate  from  the  world,  so  extra- cosmic,  so 

great,  so  majestic  and  so  transcendent,  that 

no  one  could  approach  Him,  no  one  could 
170 


Son  of  God. 

live  after  seeing  Him  face  to  face.  Conse- 
quently there  was  a  wide  gulf  of  separation 
between  God  and  man,  between  the  creator 
in  heaven  and  the  creature  on  earth.  The 
idea  of  di\dnity  in  man  was  unknown  to  the 
Jews;  such  an  idea  would  have  been  consid- 
ered blasphemous  by  them.  The  Jews  could 
never  believe  that  Yahveh  would  stoop  so 
low  as  to  come  down  on  the  human  plane 
or  to  live  in  a  human  form.  The  same  spirit 
prevails  among  the  Jews  of  to-day,  and  it 
has  also  been  inherited  by  the  Mahometans. 
According  to  them  God  is  far  above  man, 
no  human  being  can  ever  represent  His  divin- 
ity, and  there  can  be  no  other  relation  be- 
tween man  and  God,  between  the  creature 
and  his  creator,  than  that  of  a  servant  to  the 
all-powerful  master,  or  that  of  a  subject  to 
the  most  tyrannical  monarch.  The  passages 
that  have  been  quoted  from  the  Old  Testa- 
ment like,  *'Ye  are  the  children  of  God," 
meant  nothing  more  than  the  fatherly  good- 
ness of  the  Creator  and  the  impHcit  obedience 
171 


Vedanta   Philosophy. 

of  the  creature,  as  that  of  a  dutiful  son  to  his 
father.  They  were  never  meant  in  the  sense 
in  which  the  Christians  understand  the  divine 
sonship  of  Jesus  the  Christ.  Through  the 
paternal  goodness  of  Yahveh,  Abraham  be- 
came the  friend  of  God  and  Adam  became 
the  son  of  God,  as  described  in  the  thirty- 
eighth  verse  of  the  third  chapter  of  Luke. 

Nearly  two  centuries  before  the  advent  of 
Jesus  the  Christ,  when  the  Jews  came  in  con- 
tact with  the  Greeks,  they  found  in  Greek 
mythology  a  beHef  in  Zeus-pitar  or  Jupiter, 
who  was  conceived  as  the  Supreme  Deity 
and  the  creator  of  the  universe.  He  was  not 
only  the  father  of  the  gods  and  of  the  whole 
world,  but  also  the  father  of  the  most  power- 
ful kings  and  heroes,  who  were  called  the 
children  or  the  "offspring  of  Zeus"  in  the 
literal  sense  of  these  terms.  We  all  know 
that  the  gods  of  Greek  mythology  could 
marry  mortal  women  of  virtuous  character 
and  could  beget  children,  while  mortal  men 

were   allowed   to   marry   goddesses,     ^acus. 
172 


Son  of  God. 

for  instance,  was  born  of  .^gina  but  his 
father  was  Zeus  the  Supreme  Deity;  while 
Achilles  was  the  son  of  the  goddess  Thetis 
by  a  mortal  father  named  Peleus. 

These  ideas,  however,  were  not  acceptable 
to  the  Jews;  on  the  contrary^  they  were  con- 
sidered as  blasphemous  and  were  rejected 
by  the  orthodox  Hebrews.  History  never- 
theless tells  us  that  the  worship  of  Zeus-pitar 
or  Jupiter  was  introduced  into  Babylon  and 
Northern  Palestine  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes 
between  175  and  163  B.C.  The  orthodox 
Jews  revoked  against  this  innovation;  still 
there  were  many  Hberal-minded  Jews  among 
the  Pharisees  who  hked  the  idea,  accepted  it 
and  preached  it.  Among  these  was  Rabbi 
Hillel,  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  Jewish 
priests  of  that  epoch,  who  Hved  a  few  years 
before  Christ  and  died  when  Jesus  was  ten 
years  of  age.  He  was  considered  by  many 
scholars  as  the  true  master  and  predecessor 
of  Jesus  and  was  held  in  great  esteem  by  the 

Pharisaic   sect   of  the   Jews.    He  inculcated 
173 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

the  belief  in  the  merciful  and  fatherly  char- 
acter of  Yahveh  like  that  of  Zeus-pitar,  and 
it  was  he  also  who  introduced  the  golden  rule 
for  the  first  time.  At  the  same  moment  Philo 
and  the  Neo-Platonist  Jews  in  Alexandria 
were  teaching  the  fatherly  character  of  Yahveh 
and  the  only  begotten  sonship  of  the  Greek 
Logos  or  the  Word.  Philo  was  a  contem- 
porary of  Jesus,  but  he  never  even  mentioned 
his  name.  Many  of  the  Oriental  scholars 
and  higher  critics  of  the  New  Testament  say 
that  the  writer  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  must 
have  been  a  follower  of  Philo,  because  in  this 
gospel  alone  Jesus  the  Christ  is  identified  with 
the  Greek  Logos,  which  was  explained  by 
Philo  as  the  only  begotten  Son  of  the  Almighty 
Heavenly  Father. 

Some  people  claim  that  the  Messianic  hope 
of  the  Jewish  prophets  was  fulfilled  in  the 
personality  and  character  of  Jesus  and  that 
for  this  reason  he  was  called  the  Son  of  God; 
but  critical  readers  of  Jewish  history  know 

perfectly  well  that  the  Jewish  conception  of  a 
174 


Son  of  God. 

Messiah  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  Christian 
idea  of  the  divine  sonship  of  Jesus  the  Christ. 
History  explains  to  us  the  social  and  poHtical 
conditions  of  those  days  which  gave  rise  to  the 
Messianic  conception  of  a  dehverer  from  the  sea 
of  misfortune  in  which  the  Jewish  nation  was 
well-nigh  drowned.  For  centuries  the  Jews  had 
been  conquered  and  subdued  by  the  Persians, 
Greeks  and  other  stronger  powers  around  them. 
Social  intrigues,  pohtical  insurrections,  rebel- 
lions, and  constant  wars  raged  in  almost  every 
community  and  kept  the  people  busy  for  many 
years  before,  during,  and  after  the  time  of  the 
Babylonian  captivity.  Such  a  period  naturally 
kindles  the  fire  of  patriotism  in  the  hearts  of  a 
nation  and  forces  its  members  to  be  active  in 
every  possible  way.  The  misfortunes  and  ca- 
lamities which  befell  the  descendants  of  Israel 
made  them  remember  the  promises  of  Yahveh, 
which  had  been  handed  down  to  them  through 
the  writings  of  the  prophets,  and  compelled 
them  to  seek  supernatural  aid  for  the  fulfill- 
ment of  those  promises. 
175 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

The  unconquerable  pride  of  the  sons  of 
Israel  which  made  them  feel  that  they  were 
the  chosen  people  of  Yahveh,  the  only  true 
God,  who  was  their  director  and  governor, 
stimulated  their  minds  with  the  hope  that 
through  the  supernatural  power  of  Yahveh 
the  kingdom  of  their  ancestors  would  be  re- 
stored, that  a  member  of  David's  house  would 
appear  as  the  Messiah  (the  Anointed),  and 
sit  on  their  throne,  unite  the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel  under  his  sceptre  and  govern  them  in 
peace  and  prosperity.  This  was  the  first 
conception  of  a  Messiah  that  ever  arose  in 
the  minds  of  the  Jews.  It  was  the  principal 
theme  of  the  Jewish  poets  and  prophets  who 
Hved  during  the  Babylonian  exile.  The  glory 
of  the  house  of  Israel  and  the  earthly  prosperity 
of  the  worshippers  of  Yahveh  were  the  highest 
ideals  of  the  Jews.  They  did  not  mean  by 
Messiah  a  spiritual  saviour  of  sinners  from 
eternal  perdition,  for  they  did  not  believe  in 
eternal  Hfe  of  any  kind. 

The  Christian  idea  of  a  Messiah  as  the  Sa- 
176 


Son  of  God. 

viour  of  the  world  and  a  deliverer  from  sin 
and  evil  does  not  owe  its  origin  to  the  Messianic 
hope  of  the  Jews  but  to  the  Persian  conception 
of  the  coming  of  Sosiosh,  who,  according  to 
the  promise  of  Ahura  Mazda,  would  appear 
in  the  heavens  on  the  Day  of  Judgment, 
destroy  the  evil  influence  of  Ahriman  and 
renovate  the  world.  Some  of  the  Pharisees 
accepted  this  idea.  Most  probably  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  was  familiar  with  this  Persian  con- 
ception of  the  Messiah,  but  at  the  same  time 
he  tried  to  spiritualize  the  Jewish  ideal  by 
preaching  a  reign  of  righteousness  and  justice, 
instead  of  a  reign  of  war  and  strife  between 
nations,  a  kingdom  of  peace  and  love  instead 
of  a  dominion  of  earthly  power  and  prosperity. 
Thus  we  see  why  the  Messianic  hope  of 
the  Jewish  prophets  was  not  Hterally  fulfilled 
in  Jesus  the  Christ,  and  why  the  conception 
of  a  Messiah  does  not  explain  the  true  mean- 
ing of  the  Christian  idea  of  the  divine  son- 
ship  of  Christ.     We  have  already  seen  how 

the  Judaic  conception  of  God  made  Yahveh 
177 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

extra-cosmic  and  unapproachable  by  human 
beings,  and  how  a  vast  gulf  of  separation  was 
thus  created  between  God  and  man,  between 
the  Creator  and  his  creatures.  Many  of  the 
prophets  felt  it  strongly,  especially  when 
Judaism  came  in  touch  with  the  Hellenic 
religion  which  made  God  so  near  and  approach- 
able to  mortals.  Various  attempts  were  made 
to  bridge  over  this  gulf  of  separation  between 
man  and  God,  between  the  visible  and  the 
invisible;  and  these  attempts  eventually  re- 
sulted in  the  acceptance  of  the  Logos  theory 
of  the  Greek  philosophers  by  the  Alexandrian 
Jews,  who,  as  I  have  already  said,  Hved  about 
the  time  of  Jesus  the  Christ.  The  foremost 
of  them  was  Philo.  It  was  he  who  first  suc- 
ceeded in  showing  the  connection  between 
the  visible  world  and  the  invisible  creator 
through  the  Logos  of  the  Stoics  and  Neo- 
Platonists;  but  at  the  same  time  he  gave  a 
new  interpretation  to  this  word. 

"Logos"   is   a   Greek  term  meaning  orig- 
inally "word,"  not  in  the  sense  of  mere  sound, 
178 


Son  of  God. 

but  also  of  thought  embodied  in  sound— as 
when  we  utter  a  word,   the  meaning  is  in- 
cluded in  the  sound,  since  words  are  nothing 
but  the  outward  expressions  of  thoughts  which 
are  imperceptible.     From  the  time  of  HeracH- 
tus,  the  most  ancient  Greek  philosopher,  down 
to  the  time  of  the  Neo-Platonists  this  term 
was  used  by  different  thinkers  in  various  senses. 
According   to   Heraclitus,  Logos   meant  fire, 
which    was    conceived    as    the    all-pervading 
essence  of  the  universe  out  of  which  emanated 
the    individual    soul   of    man.      Anaxagoras 
understood    by    Logos    the    cosmic    mind,    a 
portion  of  which  was  manifested  in  the  human 
soul;   but  the  Stoic  philosophers   who  came 
later,  meant  by  it  reason  or  supreme  intelK- 
gence.     Logos  pervaded  all  matter,  and  reason 
or  intelligence  in  man  was  considered  to  be  a 
part  of  the  universal  reason   or  inteUigence 
or    Logos,    through    which    was    established 
the  connection  between  man  and  the  Divine 
Mind.   In  fact  Logos  always  signified  the  nexus 

between  the  manifested  world  and  its  Cause. 
179 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

As  has  aheady  been  said,  Philo,  being 
brought  up  in  the  Neo- Platonic  school, 
adopted  this  Stoic  theory  of  Logos  to  explain 
the  relation  between  Yahveh,  the  Supreme 
Creator  of  the  Semitic  religion,  and  the  visible 
mortal  man  of  this  world.  But  he  meant  by 
Logos  the  ideal  creation  which  existed  in  the 
Divine  Mind  before  the  actual  creation.  For 
instance,  before  the  creation  of  light  God 
said,  "Let  there  be  Hght."  These  words, 
however,  were  merely  an  audible  expression 
of  the  thought  or  idea  of  Hght  that  existed 
in  the  Divine  Mind:  the  creation  of  the 
external  light  was  therefore  nothing  but  the 
projection  or  expression  of  the  idea  or  thought 
of  light  in  the  Divine  Mind.  As  this  ideal 
light  may  be  called  the  connecting  link  between 
the  gross  visible  light  and  the  invisible  Divine 
Mind,  so  the  ideal  creation  becomes  the 
bridge  that  spans  the  gulf  of  separation  be- 
tween the  invisible  creator  and  the  gross 
phenomenal  creation,  and  this  idea  or  thought 

ol  the  Divine  Mind  was  the  Logos  of  Philo; 
ISO 


Son  of  God. 

it  signified  the  universal  thought  of  the  world 
or  the  ideal  world  in  the  mind  of  the  Divine 
Being  before  anything  came  into  existence. 
Like  a  dream,  the  world  of  ideas  appeared 
in  the  Divine  Mind  and  was  afterwards  pro- 
jected in  physical  space,  just  as  a  carpenter, 
before  he  makes  a  chair,  forms  a  mental  image 
of  it  and  then  projects  it  outside.  Since  this 
Logos  or  the  ideal  world  was  the  first  emana- 
tion or  expression  of  the  cosmic  mind,  it  was 
called  the  ''first  born,"  "the  only  begotten 
son,"  "the  unique  son;"  all  these  terms, 
however,  were  used  by  Philo  and  his  followers 
in  their  poetical  or  metaphorical  sense.  Ac- 
cording to  this  theor\%  the  universal  Logos 
included  all  the  ideas  and  thoughts,  or  rather 
the  perfect  types  of  all  created  things  that 
exist  in  the  universe.  Before  a  horse  was 
created,  there  was  a  perfect  idea  or  type  of 
horse  in  the  Divine  Mind.  We  do  not  see 
this  perfect  type  in  the  world;  we  may  see  a 
red  or  a  black  horse,  a  large  or  a  small  horse, 

but   we   cannot   see   the   ideal   horse.     What 
181 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

we   call  a  perfect  horse  is  nothing  but  the 

nearest  approach  to  the  perfect  ideal  horse 

that  exists  eternally  in  the  Divine  Mind.     So 

it  is  with  every  created  species,  thing  or  being. 

Before  man  came  into  existence  there  was  an 

ideal  man  or  a  perfect  type  of  man  in  the 

thought  of  God,  and  its  projection  or  physical 

manifestation    became    something    hke    that 

ideal  type,  because   the   gross   manifestation, 

being  Hmited  by  time,  space,  and  causation, 

cannot  be  exactly  the  same  as  the  ideal  type 

which  is  perfect. 

This   ideal,   or   the   perfect   type   of  man, 

which  existed  in  the  Divine  Mind,  is  eternal 

and    a    part    of    the    universal    Logos.     All 

human   beings,    therefore,    are   more   or   less 

imperfect   expressions   of  that   ideal  man   or 

Logos  or  the  first  begotten  son  of  the  Divine 

Mind.     It  does  not  refer  to  the  human  form 

alone,  but  also  to  the  perfect  character  or  the 

soul.     The  individual  souls,  however  perfect 

or  imperfect  they  may  be  in  the  actions  of 

their  daily  Hfe,   are  potentially  the  same  as 
182 


Son  of  God. 

the  Logos,  or  the  universal  ideal  man  that 
existed  in  God's  mind  before  creation.     Every 
one  of  us  is  trying  to  express  as  perfectly  as 
possible  that  ideal  type  of  man  in  whose  cast 
we    have   been  moulded  by  the  divine  hand. 
Each  one  of  us,  therefore,  is  one  with  that 
first  begotten  son  of  God — such  was  the  orig- 
inal meaning  of  the  ''Son  of  God"  according 
to   Philo    and   his    disciples.     We   must    not 
forget,    however,    that    Philo    did    not    know 
Jesus  the   Christ,   although  he  Hved  at  the 
same  time.    The  writer  of  the  Fourth  Gospel, 
whoever  he  may  have  been,  was  an  advocate 
of  the  Logos  theory  of  Philo  as  well  as  a  be- 
liever in  Christ  as  the  perfect  type  of  man  or 
the  incarnate  word  of  God  on  earth  in  the 
truest   sense   of   the   term.     It   was   for   this 
reason   that  he  began  the  gospel  with  that 
famous   verse,    which   has   created   so   much 
confusion  in  the  minds  of  Christian  theolo- 
gians:   ''In    the    beginning    was    the    Word 
and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word 

was    God."    The   meaning   of   this    passage 
183 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

will  be  clear  if  we  remember  that  the  author 

of  the  fourth  gospel  identified  the  Word  or 

Logos   of   Philo    with    Christ — but   not   with 

Jesus   of   Nazareth,    the    son    of   Mary — and 

that  since  then  this   Christ  has  become  the 

only  begotten  Son  of  God. 

Furthermore,  it  should  be  understood  that 

the  word  ''Christ,"  like  the  word  "Logos" 

of  Philo,  did  not  at  first  mean  any  particular 

individual  or  personality,  but  it  referred  to  the 

universal  ideal  type  of  man,  or  the  perfect  man 

who  dwells  in  the  Divine  Mind  from  eternity 

to  eternity.     In  this  sense  the  word  Christ  is 

as  universal  as  the  Logos.     It  is  not  confined 

to  any  particular  person  or  nationality.     We 

must    not    confound    this    ideal    impersonal 

Christ  or  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God  with 

the  historical  personality  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth^ 

the  son  of   Mary;   but   we   must   take   it   in 

its  true  spiritual   sense,  we   must  understand 

that  each  individual  soul,  being  the  expression 

of  the  first  born  Son  of  God,  is  potentially 

the  same  as  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God, 
184 


Son  of  God. 

or  the  child  of  Immortal  Bliss  as  it  is  said  in 
Vedanta.  When  we  have  realized  this  imper- 
sonal ideal  Christ  in  our  spuls,  from  that  very 
moment  we  have  become  Christ-like;  and 
it  is  then  that  the  impersonal  Christ,  the 
only  begotten  son,  will  be  born  within  us. 

Very  few  of  the  true  Christians  can  fully 
understand  this  most  sublime  universal  mean- 
ing of  the  divine  sonship  of  Christ  and  conse- 
quently of  every  Uving  soul.     It  is  extremely 
difficult    for   them    to    extricate    their   minds 
from  the  maze  of  the  traditional  personality 
of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.     Students  of  Vedanta, 
on  the  contrar)',  can  comprehend  this  universal 
meaning  very  easily,  because  in  Vedanta  the 
question  of  the  historical  personality  of  an 
indi^'idual,    however   great    and    spiritual   he 
may  be,  is  not  the  principal  point  to  be  dis- 
cussed;   its  sole   aim  is  to  lift  us  above  all 
limitations  of  personahty  and  to  lead  us  to 
the  reahzation  of  the  universal  Tnith  or  the 
Divine  sonship  of  each  individual  soul.    We 
are  all   children  of  Immortal  BUss,   of  the 

185 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

omnipotent  and  omniscient  Divine  Being. 
We  are  not  children  of  some  other  being, 
nor  are  we  children  of  earthly  fathers.  Par- 
ents have  not  created  our  souls,  but  on  the  con- 
trary our  souls  existed  even  before  the  creation 
of  the  world.  By  our  birthright,  as  it  were, 
we  possess  the  claim  of  divine  sonship.  No 
one  can  deprive  us  of  this  right.  We  may 
think  of  ourselves  at  present  as  mortals  sub- 
ject to  birth  and  death,  to  grief,  sorrow,  and 
misery ;  we  may  call  ourselves  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  men,  but  the  time  is  sure  to  come 
when  our  spiritual  eyes  will  be  opened  to 
the  truth  of  our  being  as  sons  of  the  Heavenly 
Father. 

The  expression  "  Son  of  God  "  shows  in  a 
metaphorical  way  the  extrinsic  variety  and 
the  intrinsic  unity  that  exist  between  the 
soul  of  man  and  the  Supreme  Spirit.  Out- 
wardly the  child  is  different  from  the  father, 
but  his  whole  soul  is  one  with  the  father. 
If  we  can  leave  out  the  external  and  go  to 

the  innermost  depth  of  our  souls,   there  we 
186 


Son  of  God. 

shall  see  and  realize  our  divine  relation,  and 
eventually  we  shall  become  one  with  the 
Supreme  Spirit  and  say,  as  did  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth, "I  and  my  Father  are  one."  We  must 
learn  that  becoming  means  knowing  and 
knowing  is  becoming.  When  we  know  our- 
selves as  children  of  earthly  fathers,  we  have 
become  so;  and  when  we  know  that  we  are 
children  of  God,  we  become  such.  This  we 
shall  be  able  to  understand  better  from  the 
parable  of  the  King's  son  and  the  shepherd. 

There  was  a  very  powerful  king  in  ancient 
India.  By  his  conquests  he  became  emperor, 
but  unfortunately  in  the  prime  of  life  he  sud- 
denly died  and  within  a  few  months  his  queen 
passed  away  giving  birth  to  his  only  child, 
the  heir  to  the  throne.  The  other  members 
of  the  royal  family,  in  order  to  usurp  the  throne, 
took  the  babe  away,  left  him  in  a  distant  for- 
est, and  spread  the  news  that  the  child  was 
dead.  Fortunately  he  w^as  discovered  by  a 
shepherd  who  went  into  the  forest  for  hunting. 

This  man  had  no  children  of  his  own  and  out 
187 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

of  compassion  he  took  the  child,  brought  it 
home,  and  gave  it  to  his  wife,  asking  her  to 
take  care  of  it  as  her  own  babe.  The  child 
was  brought  up  as  a  shepherd  boy;  he  did 
not  know  anything  of  the  secret,  he  called  the 
shepherd  his  father,  played  with  other  shep- 
herd boys  and  tried  his  best  to  help  his  father 
in  his  work  and  to  earn  a  share  of  his  Hving. 
He  felt  sometimes  very  miserable  and  unhappy, 
but  he  did  not  know  anything  better. 

After  a  few  years,  when  he  grew  older,  he 
happened  to  meet  the  old  prime  minister  of 
the  deceased  emperor.  The  minister,  who 
knew  the  whole  secret,  at  once  saw  in  the 
face  of  that  young  shepherd  a  resemblance 
to  the  emperor  and,  instantly  recognizing 
him,  addressed  and  honored  him  as  the 
prince  and  heir  to  the  throne.  The  shep- 
herd youth  looked  at  the  minister  in  great 
amazement  and  could  not  believe  his  state- 
ments ;  but  the  minister  persuaded  him  to  come 
to  the  palace,  made  him  sit  on  his  father's 

throne   and   asked  him   to   take   care  of  the 
188 


Son  of  God. 

property  and  govern  the  empire.     Gradually 
the  mind  of  the  young  shepherd  woke  up, 
as  it  were,   from  a  dream   and  he   reahzed 
that  he   was   the   only   son   of   the   emperor, 
governed  his  empire,  and  became  the  emperor. 
Even  so  it  is  with  us,  being  children  of  the 
Emperor  of  the  universe;    we  have  forgotten 
our  birthright  and  are  acting  Hke  the  shepherd 
boy.     The   moment   that   we  know  who  we 
are  and  what  we  are,  that  very  moment  we 
shall  become  conscious  of  our  divine  heritage 
and  shall  understand  that  in  reahty  we  are 
not   children   of   earthly   parents   but   of   the 
Father  of  the  universe.     No  one  can  deprive 
us  of  this  divine  birthright. 

All  the  great  Saviours  of  the  worid,  like 
Krishna,  Buddha,  Christ,  were  conscious 
of  their  divine  sonship  from  their  childhood 
and  never  forgot  it.  They  were  Uke  the 
prime  minister;  they  came  to  the  shepherd 
boy  of  the  human  soul  to  give  the  message 
of  truth,  that  it  is  not  the  son  of  the  earthly 
shepherd  father  but  of  the  Emperor  of  the 

189 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

universe.  Let  us  enter  into  our  divine  heritage 
and  rule  our  heavenly  empire.  Let  us  become 
like  the  emperor  of  the  universe.  Let  us  fol- 
low the  paths  of  the  great  Saviours  of  the 
world,  each  one  of  whom  manifested  in  his  Hfe 
the  perfect  type  of  man,  the  ideal  man,  the 
Word  or  Logos.  Let  us  obey  their  instructions 
and,  by  manifesting  divinity  through  humanity, 
let  us  become  perfect  even  as  the  Father  in 
heaven  is  perfect;  then  we  shall  be  happy 
both  here  and  hereafter  and  shall  attain  to 
that  everlasting  bliss,  which  is  the  goal  of  all 

religions. 

190 


.  "  ■  (* 


Divine  Principle  in  Man. 


"There  is  in  this  body  a  higher  Soul,  the  Looker-on 
and  the  Sanctioner,  the  Sustainer  and  the  Experiencer, 
the  Mighty  Lord,  who  is  also  designated  the  Supreme 
Spirit." — Bhagavad  Gita  xiii,  22. 

"He  who  is  the  Omniscient  Knower  of  all,  whose  glory  is 
manifested  in  the  universe,  dwells  in  the  heart  and  assum- 
ing the  nature  of  the  mind,  becomes  the  guide  of  the  body 
and  of  the  senses.  The  wise  who  understand  this,  realize 
the  Self -effulgent.  Immortal,  and  Blissful  One." — Mun- 
daka  Upanishad  ii,  2  Kh.  7, 


Divine  Principle  in  Man. 

The  study  of  human  nature  is  the  most 
interesting  and  the  most  benefcial  of  all 
studies.  The  more  we  study  ourselves,  the 
better  we  can  understand  the  universe,  its 
laws,  and  the  Truth  that  underhes  its  phe- 
nomena. It  is  said,  "  man  is  the  epitome  of 
the  universe;  whatever  exists  in  the  world  is 
to  be  found  in  the  body  of  man."  As,  on 
the  one  hand,  we  find  in  man  all  those  tend- 
encies and  propensities  which  characterize 
the  lower  animals,  so  on  the  other,  w^e  see  him 
manifesting  through  the  actions  of  his  life  all 
those  noble  quaHties  that  adorn  the  character 
of  one  whom  we  honor,  respect  and  worship 
as  the  Divine  Being.     Human  nature  seems 

to  be  a  most  wonderful  blending  of  that  which 
193 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

is  animal  with  that  which  is  called  divine. 
It  is  like  the  twilight  before  daybreak,  through 
which  the  darkness  of  the  night  of  the  animal 
nature  passes  into  the  glorious  sunshine  of 
the  supreme  wisdom.  Human  nature  may 
be  called  the  state  of  transition  from  the  ani- 
mal into  the  divine.  The  animal  nature 
includes  the  love  of  self  or  the  attachment  of 
one's  self  to  one's  body  and  to  everything 
related  to  the  body  and  the  senses,  desire  for 
sense  pleasures  and  sense  enjoyments,  the 
clinging  to  earthly  life,  fear  of  death  and  the 
struggle  for  existence.  Each  of  these  quaH- 
ties  or  tendencies  is  to  be  found  in  the  lower 
animals  as  well  as  in  human  beings,  the  dif- 
ference being  only  in  degree  and  not  in 
kind. 

The  savage  man  who  lives  like  a  wild  beast 
in  a  cave  or  under  trees  and  does  not  know 
how  to  build  a  house  or  cultivate  the  ground, 
but  who  sustains  life  by  depending  entirely 
upon  fruits,  roots,  wild  berries,  or  upon  the 

birds  and  beasts  that  he  can  trap,  expresses 
194 


Divine  Principle  in  Man. 

in  all  the  actions  of  his  life  nothing  more  than 
what  we  have  described  as  animal  tendencies 
and  animal  propensities.  If  the  Darwinian 
theory  be  true,  then  we  can  easily  explain  why 
there  should  be  so  Httle  difference  between 
primitive  man  and  his  distant  ancestor,  the 
chimpanzee,  or  some  other  member  of  the 
anthropoid  species.  When,  however,  the  same 
wild  man  becomes  partially  civilized  by  learn- 
ing to  cultivate  the  land,  to  raise  food  and 
cook  it,  to  build  houses  and  Hve  in  communi- 
ties, he  no  longer  manifests  these  animal  tend- 
encies in  their  simpler  and  more  savage 
forms.  He  gradually  adopts  more  artful 
methods  to  accomphsh  his  purposes.  For 
instance,  the  struggle  for  existence  depends 
chiefly  upon  physical  force  among  savage 
tribes  as  well  as  among  animals,  while  among 
civilized  people  in  ci\iHzed  countries  a  similar 
result  in  the  form  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  is 
obtained,  not  by  the  display  of  brute  force, 
but   by   art,    skill,    diplomacy,   pohcy,    lying, 

strategy,  and  hypocrisy.     These  are  the  offen- 
195 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

sive  and  defensive  weapons  of  the  so-called 
*' civilized  man." 

All  the  vicious  qualities  and  wicked  deeds, 
such  as  murder,  theft,  robbery  and  other  crimes 
which  are  to  be  found  in  civiUzed  communities, 
are  nothing  but  the  expressions  of  the  animal 
tendencies  of  man  working  under  the  heavy 
pressure  of  the  rigid  laws  of  society,  state  and 
government.  They  proceed  from  love  of  self 
or  extreme  attachment  to  the  animal  nature. 
Being  guided  by  these  lower  tendencies,  man 
becomes  extremely  selfish,  and  does  not  recog- 
nize the  rights  or  comforts  of  his  fellow-beings. 
On  the  contrary,  he  does  everything  to  satisfy 
the  cravings  of  his  body  and  senses  at  the  ex- 
pense of  his  neighbors.  But  the  moment 
that  this  savage  man,  or  the  man  who  lives 
Hke  a  lower  animal,  begins  to  see  the  rights 
of  others,  learns  to  love  and  care  for  his  fellow- 
beings  in  the  same  way  that  he  loves  his  own 
dear  self  and  cares  for  his  own  belongings, 
from  that  time  he  rises  a  step  higher  than  the 

absolutely    animal  plane;    he  becomes  truly 
196 


Divine  Principle  in  Man. 

human  and  gradually  manifests  the  other 
quahties  and  tendencies  that  accompany  this 
fundamental  moral  principle — to  love  one's 
neighbor  as  one's  self. 

Upon  this  foundation  has  been  built  the 
whole  structure  of  ethics  among  all  nations. 
The  \drtuous  quaHties  such  as  disinterested 
love  for  humanity,  mercy,  justice,  kindness 
towards  others,  forgiveness,  self-sacrifice,  all 
these  help  the  animal  man  to  expand  the 
range  of  his  love  of  self  and  to  subdue  all 
that  proceeds  from  purely  selfish  attachment 
to  his  own  body  and  senses.  The  higher  we 
rise  above  the  animal  plane,  the  wider  becomes 
the  circle  of  self-love,  and  instead  of  being 
confined  to  the  body  and  senses  of  the  indi- 
vidual, it  becomes  general,  covering  the  selves 
not  merely  of  dearest  relatives  and  nearest 
friends,  but  of  neighbors,  countrymen,  and 
at  last,  of  all  humanity.  Thus,  the  more 
universal  our  love  of  self  becomes,  the  nearer 
we  approach  the  Divinity,  because  the  Divine 

Principle  is  the  universal  Being  whose  love 
197 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

flows  equally  towards  all  living  creatures,  as 
the  sun  shines  equally  upon  the  heads  of  the 
virtuous  and  the  wicked. 

Anything  that  is  done,  not  with  a  motive 
confined  to  some  particular  person,  community 
or  nation,  but  through  love  for  all  humanity, 
nay  with  a  feeling  that  seeks  the  benefit  of 
all  living  creatures,  is  unselfish;  consequently 
it  is  guided  by  the  universal  or  Divine  Prin- 
ciple, The  tendency  of  the  individual  self 
of  each  man  is  not  to  remain  confined  within 
one  narrow  circle,  but  to  go  beyond  the  bound- 
ary of  the  circle  of  the  animal  nature,  beyond 
human  nature,  and  ultimately  to  become 
universal.  All  charitable  acts  and  philan- 
thropic deeds  are  but  steps  toward  that  one 
goal.  Well  has  it  been  said  by  Ralph  Waldo 
Emerson  that  ''the  Hfe  of  man  is  a  self-evolv- 
ing circle,  which  from  a  ring  imperceptibly 
small  rushes  on  all  sides  outwards  to  new 
and  larger  circles,  and  that  without  end." 

Indeed  the  self  of  man  has  the  constant 

tendency  to  break  down  all  limitations,   to 
198 


Divine   Principle  in  Man. 

transcend  all  boundaries,  and  to  become  one 
with  the  Self  of  the  universe.  A  human 
being  cannot  rest  contented,  cannot  remain 
perfectly  satisfied  while  living  within  the 
limitations  of  his  animal  nature.  He  may 
appear  to  be  contented  for  a  time,  or  he  may 
delude  himself  by  thinking  that  he  is  perfectly 
happy  and  satisfied  under  these  conditions, 
but  the  moment  is  sure  to  come  when,  being 
forced  from  within,  he  will  give  vent  to  the 
natural  tendency  to  expand  by  struggHng 
hard  to  reach  out  from  the  animal  self  and  be 
united  with  the  universal  Self.  This  tend- 
ency is  inherent  in  the  very  nature  of  man 
and  its  expression  will  force  him  to  control 
the  lower  animal  desires  and  propensities,  to 
become  the  absolute  master  of  them,  and 
will  gradually  lead  him  to  live  a  moral  and 
spiritual  life. 

The  awakening  may  come  at  any  time  and 
under  any  circumstances.     One  may  be  sud- 
denly awakened  in  the  midst  of  all  the  com- 
forts,  luxuries  and  pleasures   of  the   earthly 
199 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

life.  No  one  can  tell  when  or  how  such  an 
awakening  will  come  to  the  individual  soul. 
There  have  been  many  instances  in  India 
and  in  other  countries  of  this  sudden  awakening 
of  the  higher  tendency  of  the  soul.  Buddha 
was  suddenly  awakened  when  he  was  enjoy- 
ing all  the  pleasures  and  luxuries  of  a  princely 
life,  when  his  mind  was  deeply  absorbed  in 
every  enjoyment  that  a  human  being  can  pos- 
sibly have.  This  awakening,  which  made 
Buddha  one  of  the  Saviours  of  the  world  and 
which  has  made  others  live  on  this  earth  like 
embodiments  of  Divinity,  is  not  the  result  of 
some  animal  force  or  some  lower  tendency  to 
be  found  in  lower  animals  or  in  those  who 
live  like  slaves  of  passion  and  desire,  but  it  is 
the  expression  of  a  higher  power.  It  is  not 
love  of  the  body  or  desire  of  the  senses,  not 
attachment  to  the  pleasures  and  comforts  of 
the  animal  self;  it  is  just  the  opposite.  It  is 
love  for  humanity  which  makes  one  forget 
one's  self.  It  is  not  a  desire  to  gain  some- 
thing for  one's  own  comfort,  but  it  is  a  desire 
200 


Divine  Principle  in  Man. 

to  help  mankind,  to  remove  their  grievances, 
their  sorrows  and  sufferings  and  to  make 
them  happy.  It  is  not  a  clinging  to  earthly 
existence,  but  on  the  contrary,  it  is  the  expres- 
sion of  the  desire  to  sacrifice  one's  own  Hfe 
for  the  sake  of  others  \\dthout  having  the 
slightest  fear  of  death.  It  is  not  a  struggle 
for  existence  or  the  survival  of  the  fittest  at 
the  expense  of  others,  but  it  is  the  cessation 
of  all  gladiatorial  fights,  struggles  and  com- 
petitions, and  the  attainment  of  peace,  tran- 
quillity and  happiness.  It  is  making  the 
weak  to  survive  and  the  strong  to  be  kind 
and  merciful  toward  those  who  are  about  to 
be  crushed  by  social  competition.  Are  not 
these  powers  and  tendencies  diametrically 
opposed  to  those  which  characterize  the 
animal  man? 

These  higher  powers  and  tendencies  have 
been  manifested  again  and  again  by  differ- 
ent individuals  at  different  times  in  different 
countries.     The  rehgious  histor}^  of  the  world 

stands  as  a  Uving  witness  of  this  fact.     But 
201 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

the  question  arises,  how  do  we  happen  to 
possess  these  higher  tendencies  and  higher 
powers?  Did  we  inherit  them  from  our 
anthropoid  ancestors?  No  indeed,  because 
animal  nature  cannot  produce  anything  that 
is  not  entirely  animal.  The  beUevers  in  the 
Darwinian  theory  cannot  explain  the  origin 
of  these  super-animal  or  rather  superhuman 
tendencies.  Have  they  been  super-added  to 
our  animal  nature  from  outside  by  the  grace 
of  some  extra- cosmic  Being,  as  it  is  supposed 
by  the  duaHstic  and  monotheistic  believers 
of  Christianity  and  other  religions?  No, 
such  a  statement  cannot  be  supported  either 
by  reason  or  by  scientific  investigation.  No 
one  has  ever  succeeded  in  proving  when  and 
how  these  powers  and  higher  tendencies 
were  super-added  to  the  human  soul.  The 
most  rational  explanation  lies  in  the  state- 
ment in  the  book  of  Genesis:  "So  God  created 
man  in  his  own  image,  in  the  image  of  God 
created  He  him." 

Let  us  understand  clearly  the  meamng  of 
202 


Divine   Principle  in  Man. 

this  passage.     We  are  familiar  with  the  popu- 
lar  meaning   which   seems   absurd   when   we 
examine  it  in  the  Hght  of  modern  scientific 
knowledge.      In  the  first  place  the  creation 
of  man  out  of  nothing  six  thousand  years  ago 
does  not  bear  the  test  of  modern  geological 
research   and  discoveries.     On  the   contrary, 
we  are  aware  of  the  fact  that  man  existed  in 
the  Tertiary  period,   several   thousand  years 
before  this  Bibhcal  creation  of  man  was  sup- 
posed   to    have    taken    place.     Secondly,    we 
know  that  this  word  "image"  does  not  mean 
the  physical  form  of  man,  nor  does  it  refer 
to  the  first  man  Adam,  who  was  supposed 
to  have  been  the  perfect  image  of  God  before 
the   Satanic   temptation,    and   who   after   the 
fall  lost  that   image   and  became  imperfect, 
because  of  which  it  is  said  that  all  human 
beings  have  since  been  born  in  sin.    We  can- 
not beUeve  that  all  of  us  were  born  in  sin  and 
iniquity,  and,  having  lost   the   Divdne  image 
within  us,  thus  became  the  sons  of  Satan  or 
the  Devil.     If  man  was  created  in  the  image 
203 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

of  God,  it  could  not  possibly  mean  that  one 
particular  man  of  a  particular  nation  at  a 
special  time  possessed  His  image,  but  it  was 
meant  for  all  human  beings,  irrespective  of 
their  caste,  creed  or  nationality. 

We  must  remember  that  there  are  no  ex- 
ceptions in  the  laws  of  nature.  That  which 
we  take  for  an  exception  refers  to  some  hidden 
universal  law  or  truth,  whether  we  see  or 
understand  it  or  not;  and  that  explanation 
is  correct  which  harmonizes  with  universal 
law  and  points  out  universal  truth.  If  we 
admit  the  existence  of  the  Divine  image  in 
one  man,  we  shall  have  to  admit  it  in  all  human 
beings;  otherwise  it  will  be  an  exceptional 
case,  which  cannot  be  true.  As  by  discover- 
ing the  cause  of  the  fall  of  one  apple  from  one 
tree,  we  learn  the  universal  law  of  gravitation, 
which  explains  that  all  apples  under  those 
circumstances  will  fall,  so  by  knowing  that 
one  man  was  made  in  God's  image,  we  under- 
stand the  universal  truth  that  all  men,  women 

and  children  of  all  countries  and  of  all  times 
204 


Divine  Principle  in  Man. 

have  been  made  in  the  Divine  image,  whether 
or  not  they  have  feU  it,  reaUzed  it,  or  mani- 
fested it  in  their  actions. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  it  were  true  that  all 
of  us  were  born  in  sin  and  iniquity  or  under 
Satanic  influence,  it  would  have  been  abso- 
lutely impossible  for  any  man  at  any  time  to 
manifest  any  of  those  tendencies  and  powers 
which  we  call  di\dne,  and  we  should  be  unable 
to  explain  why  the  great  sages  and  spiritual 
leaders  of  mankind,  who  flourished  in  India 
and  in  other  countries  both  before  and  after 
the  Christian  era,  could  show  all  the  Divine 
powers  and  quahties  that  characterized  the 
only  begotten  Son  of  God.  Their  Hves  show 
that  every  one  of  them  manifested  dignity 
in  the  actions  of  their  daily  Hfe.  Therefore 
we  must  lay  aside  the  mythical  meaning  of 
that  scriptural  passage  and  understand  it  in 
its  universal  sense.  Furthermore,  this  uni- 
versal meaning  of  the  Divine  image  in  man 
was  most  strongly  emphasized  by  the  great 

seers   of  Tri-ith   in   India   from   ver>^   ancient 
205 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

times  and  centuries  before  the  book  of  Genesis 
was  written  or  thought  of.  The  same  uni- 
versal idea  is  the  foundation  of  the  philosophy 
and  rehgion  of  Vedanta. 

Vedanta  teaches  that  when  we  speak  of  a 
man  or  woman  as  the  image  of  God,  we  do 
not  mean  his  or  her  physical  form,  but  we 
mean  the  individual  ego  or  the  soul.  If  the 
Divine  Being  or  God  be  this  universal  spirit 
then  His  image  cannot  be  the  physical  form 
of  man;  this  does  not  convey  any  idea  or 
meaning  at  all.  The  ego  or  the  soul  of  each 
individual  man  or  woman  is  the  image  of 
Divinity.  This  idea  has  been  beautifully 
expressed  in  Vedanta:  "In  the  cave  of  the 
heart  have  entered  the  two,  the  one  is  the 
eternal,  absolute,  real,  perfect  and  self- efful- 
gent Hke  the  sun,  and  the  other,  the  individual 
ego  or  soul,  is  Hke  its  reflection,  or  shadow, 
or  image.  The  one  is  Hke  the  fountain-head 
of  the  blessed  qualities  and  the  infinite  source 
of  all  divine  powers,  while  the  other  contains  the 

partial  reflection  of  those  qualities  and  powers." 
208 


Divine  Principle   in  Man. 

Thus  according  to  Vedanta  every  individual 
soul,  whether  it  be  more  or  less  animal  in  its 
thoughts    and    actions,    possesses    the    Divine 
image  and  is  no  other  than  the  image  of  the 
Divine  Principle  or  Being.     The  Divine  Being 
is   one    and    universal   but   its   reflections   or 
images  are  many.     As  the  image  of  the  sun, 
falling  upon  the  dull  and  unpohshed  surface 
of  a  piece  of  metal,  does  not  properly  reflect 
the  grandeur  and  power  of  that  self-luminous 
body,  but  appears  dull  and  imperfect,  so  the 
Divine  image,   faUing  upon  the  dull  surface 
of  the   animal  nature   cannot   reflect   all  the 
blessed    quahties,    cannot    manifest    all    the 
divine  powers,  but,  on  the  contrary,  appears 
animal    in    its    tendencies    and    propensities. 
As  the  same  image  of  the  sun  will  shine  forth 
brighter   and   more   effulgent   when   the   sur- 
face of  the  metal  is  pohshed,  so  the  individual 
soul  will  show  its  brighter  and  more  effulgent 
aspect  and  will  more  fully  reflect  the  divine 
qualities  when  the  heart  which  contains  the 

image  is  poHshed  and  made  free  from  the  dirt 
207 


Vedanta  Philosbphy, 

of  animal  desires  and  animal  tendencies; 
then  and  then  alone,  this  same  individual  soul 
will  begin  to  manifest  all  the  blessed  qualities 
like  justice,  mercy,  kindness,  and  disinter- 
ested love  for  all  humanity.  These  powers 
are  latent  in  all  individuals,  but  they  will  be 
expressed  when  the  heart  is  purified.  "  Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart  for  they  shall  see  God," 
said  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

The  perfect  manifestation  of  these  divine 
powers  depends  entirely  upon  the  removal  of 
all  obstructions  like  desire  for  earthly  pleas- 
ures, for  the  enjoyments  and  comforts  of 
earthly  Hfe,  attachment  to  the  gross  physical 
body  and  to  the  senses,  which  force  the  indi- 
vidual soul  to  remain  on  the  animal  plane. 
Yet  however  animal  the  expression  of  the 
nature  of  an  ordinary  man  of  the  world  may 
be,  his  soul  is  still  the  image  of  the  Divinity 
which  holds  potentially  in  its  bosom  all  divine 
powers  and  all  blessed  qualities.  Nay,  even 
the    souls    of   lower    animals    are   potentially 

divine,  according  to  Vedanta.     The  evolution 

208 


Divine  Principle  in  Man. 

of  nature  is  required  to  bring  out  tlicse  po- 
tential tendencies,  powers  and  qualities  into 
their  actual  or  real  manifestations.     Climbing 
the  ladder  of  the  evolution  of  nature,  each 
individual  soul  or  germ  of  life  expresses  its 
latent   powers,    first    through    the    limitations 
of  the   animal   nature   as   animal    tendencies 
and   animal   desires,    and   lastly    as    spiritual 
powers  by  rising  above  all  limitations,  by  tran- 
scending the  boundaries  of  the  various  circles 
of  animal,   moral   and   spiritual   nature,   and 
approaching  the  abode  of  the  infinite  Divine 
Principle.     At  that  time   the  individual  soul 
becomes  absolutely  free  from  the  bondage  of 
nature,    enjoys    the    supreme    Bliss   which   is 
divine,  and  manifests  all  the  blessed  quaUties. 
In  passing  through  these  various  stages  the 
individual  ego  studies  its  own  powers,  gains 
experience   and  reahzes   all  the  powers   that 
are  lying  dormant  within  the  soul. 

Many  people  ask  the  question,  "Why  is  it 
necessary    for    the    individual    soul    to    gain 

experience    when  it    is    potentially    divine?" 
209 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

The   very   fact   that   creation,   or  projection, 

means    the    manifestation    of    the    potential 

energy  as  kinetic  or  as  actual  reaUty,  forces 

the  soul  to  objectify  and  project  the  dormant 

activities   on   to   the  plane   of  consciousness; 

otherwise   how   can   the   soul   learn   its   own 

powers   when  they  are   on  the  subconscious 

plane?     Take  as  illustration  the  deep  sleep 

state:  when  all  the  sense-powers,  such  as  the 

power  of  walking,  moving,  talking,  and  all  the 

mental    and    intellectual    functions    become 

unmanifested,  do  we  know  in  that  state  what 

powers  we  possess?     No,  certainly  not.     We 

can  only  know  their  existence  when  they  are 

brought   out   on   the   conscious   plane,    when 

they  are  awakened.     Is  not  this   awakening 

of   the   dormant   powers   that   He   buried   on 

the   subconscious   plane,    the   same   thing   as 

the  gaining  of  experience? 

If  for  a  moment   all  the  individual  souls 

that   exist   in    the   universe    should    cease   to 

manifest     their     dormant     powers,     instantly 

the  relative  existence  of  phenomenal  activity 
210 


Divine  Principle   in  Man. 

would  vanish  and  the  whole  world  would  go 
back  to  its  primordial,  undifferentiated  con- 
dition of  nescience,   wliich  is  almost  similar 
to  the  unmanifested  state  of  deep  sleep  when 
we  do  not  dream.     Therefore  each  individual 
soul  is  bound  to  gain  experience  after  experi- 
ence in  the  process  of  this  manifestation  of  its 
latent  powers  and  potential  energy.     Ha\ing 
experienced   the   powers   and   actions   of  the 
animal    nature    with    their    results,    the    soul 
longs  for  higher  manifestations,  tries  to  rise 
above    that    plane,    and    after    realizing    the 
effects  of  the  moral  and  spiritual  nature,  it 
reaches    perfection.     In    this    state    the    soul 
becomes    absolutely    happy    and    contented, 
and,    transcending   the   limitations   of   sense- 
powers,    self-love    and    selfishness,    it    mani- 
fests the  blessed  qualities  in  the  actions  of 
its  every-day  life. 

This  idea  was  illustrated  by  an  ancient 
sage  in  India  thus:  ''Two  birds  of  the  most 
beautiful   plumage    dwell   upon   the   tree   of 

Ufe,  they  are  bound   together  by  the  tie  of 
211 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

closest  friendship.  The  one  sits  calm,  serene, 
contented,  peaceful  and  happy,  and  constantly 
watches  the  movements  of  his  friend  like  a 
witness;  while  the  other  bird  flies  and  hops 
from  branch  to  branch,  being  attracted  by 
the  sight  of  the  sweet  and  inviting  fruits 
which  the  tree  of  Hfe  bears.  When  he  is 
drawn  toward  a  fruit,  he  tastes  it  and  enjoys 
the  sensation;  then  he  tries  another  which 
appears  more  attractive,  but  unfortunately 
when  he  tastes  it,  he  finds  it  extremely  bitter 
and  does  not  like  it.  (We  must  remember 
here  that  the  tree  of  life  is  not  like  an  ordinary 
tree;  it  bears  all  kinds  of  fruits  from  the  sweet- 
est to  the  bitterest.)  Having  tried  the  various 
fruits  according  to  his  desires,  the  bird  happens 
to  come  to  one  that  is  exceedingly  bitter,  and 
having  tasted  it,  he  suffers  intensely,  and 
unhappy  and  distressed,  he  remembers  his 
friend,  whom  he  had  forgotten  for  the  time 
being.  He  looks  for  him  and  at  last  finds 
him  seated  on  the  top  of  the  tree,  calm,  peace- 
ful and  perfectly  contented.  He  envies  his 
212 


Divine  Prirxiple  in  Man. 

peace,  happiness  and  contentment  and  slowly 
approaches  him.  As  he  comes  nearer  and 
nearer,  lo!  he  is  forcibly  drawn  into  the  per- 
fect being  of  that  witness-like  friend,  for  he 
was  his  reflection  or  image." 

The  bird  which  flies  from  branch  to  branch, 
which  enjoys  and  suffers,  is  the  individual 
ego  or  the  living  soul  of  man.  The  fruits  of 
this  tree  of  Hfe  are  nothing  but  the  results  of 
all  the  good  and  bad  acts  which  the  ego  per- 
forms; and  the  witness-like  friend  is  the 
perfect  Divine  Being,  whose  image  the  indi- 
vidual soul  is.  Thus  having  experienced  all 
the  fruits  of  our  good  and  bad  deeds,  when 
we  become  discontented  and  unhappy,  we 
seek  our  true,  eternal  friend,  admire  him, 
aspire  to  attain  to  his  peace  and  happiness, 
go  nearer  and  nearer,  and  ultimately  become 
one  with  him.  It  is  then  that  we  feel  happy 
and  contented,  it  is  then  that  true  peace  and 
happiness  come. 

As  the  image  or  reflection  of  the  sun  cannot 

exist  for  a  second  independent  of  that  self- 
213 


Vedanta  Philosophy. 

luminous  heavenly  body,  so  the  individual 
soul,  being  the  image  of  God,  cannot  exist 
even  for  a  moment  without  depending  upon 
the  Divine  Principle.  The  individual  ego 
owes  its  Hfe,  its  intelligence,  its  intellect, 
mind  and  all  other  mental  and  physical 
powers  to  that  infinite  source  of  all  powers, 
all  knowledge,  all  love,  and  everlasting  happi- 
ness. In  fact  the  individual  soul  does  not 
possess  anything.  All  these  powers  and  forces 
that  we  are  expressing  in  our  daily  life,  whether 
animal,  moral  or  spiritual,  do  not  belong  to 
us,  but  proceed  from  that  one  inexhaustible 
source.  Nor  is  the  Divine  Principle  far  from 
us;  He  is  the  soul  of  our  soul,  the  life  of  our 
life,  and  the  omnipotent  essence  of  our 
being. 

"The  Divine  Principle  is  smaller  than  the 
smallest  and  larger  than  the  largest;  it  per- 
vades the  infinite  space  and  also  dwells  in 
the  minutest  atom  of  atoms;  it  resides  in 
the  innermost  sanctuary  of  the  soul  of  every 

man    and    woman;  whosoever    reaHzes    that 
214 


Divine   Principle   in  Man. 

omnipresent  Divinity,  whose  image  the  indi- 
vidual soul  is,  unto  him  come  eternal  peace 
and    perpetual    bliss,    unto    none    else,    unto 

none  else." 

215 


Publications     of    The     Vedanta     Society. 

The  Gospel  of  Ramakrishna. 

Authorized  Edition. 
WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY 

SWAMI   ABHEDANANDA. 

448  pages;  with  two  pictures,  maginal  notes,  and  index. 

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"The  sayings  of  a  mystic  who  has  much  influence  in  India 
and  who  has  been  made  known  to  the  Western  world  by  various 
missionary  '  Swamis  '  will  be  found  in  '  The  Gospel  of  Rama- 
krishna.' They  have  been  translated  into  excellent  English." 
—  The  Sun,  New  York. 


H  ( 


The  Gospel  of  Ramakrishna'  contains  the  religious 
teachings  of  this  modern  Hindu  saint  whose  life  contained  so 
many  good  deeds  that  his  followers  thought  him  little  short  of 
^sin'i.''*— The  Boston  Globe,  Boston,  Mass, 

«  During  his  lifetime  his  career  and  personality  attracted 
much  attention  from  English  and  German  scholars  of  the  nine- 
teenth century." — The  Chicago  Inter-Ocean,  Chicago,  IH. 

<<The  book  is  filled  with  beautiful  thoughts  and  beauti- 
ful teachings,  which,  if  followed,  would  lead  to  a  perfect  life. 
One  cannot  marvel  that  the  sayings  of  Ramakrishna  made  a 
deep  impress  on  modern  Hindu  thought.  He  was  at  least  a 
great  and  wise  scholar,  and  gave  goodly  advice  to  his  followers." 
—  The  San  Francisco  Examiner,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

<<It  is  a  remarkable  book  and  it  should  be  a  rare  privilege 
to  read  it." — The  Oregonian,  Portland,  Oregon. 


Publications     of     The     Vedanta     Society 

India  and  Her  People 

{Lectures  delivered  before  the  Brooklyn  Institute 

of  Arts  and  Sciences  during  the  season 

of  igo5-igo6.) 


BY 

SWAMI   ABHEDANANDA 

Cloth,  ;^i.25.  Postage,  lo  Cents 

Contents 
I.  Philosophy  of  India  To-day. 
II.  Religions  of  India. 

III.  Social  Status  of  India:  Their  System  of  Caste. 

IV.  Political  Institutions  oi  India. 
V.   Education  in  India. 

VI.  The  Influence  of  India  on  Western  Civilization  and  the 
Influence  of  Western  Civilization  on  India. 


"Tbis  book  has  more  than  usual  interest  as  coming  from  one  -who 
knows  the  Occident  and  both  knows  and  loves  the  Orient.  ...  It 
is  decidedly  interesting.  .  .  .  The  book  has  two  admirable  qualities: 
breadth  in  scope  and  suggestiveiiess  in  material." — Bulletin  of  the 
American  Geographical  Society^  Sept,  1906. 

"This  volume,  written  in  an  attractive  style  and  dealing  with  the 
life,  philosophy  and  religion  of  India,  should  prove  a  useful  addition  to 
the  literature  of  a  fascinating  and  as  yet  largely  unknown  subject.  It 
is  designt-d  for  popular  reading,  the  metaphysical  portions  being  so 
handled  that  the  reader  runs  little  risk  of  getting  beyond  his  depth." 
— Literary  Digest,  Feb.  16,  1907. 

"  The  Swami  possesses  the  exceptional  advantage  of  being  able  to 
look  upon  his  own  country  almost  from  the  standpoint  of  an  outsider 
and  to  handle  his  subject  free  from  both  foreign  and  native  prejudice." 

—  New  York  lVor/il,A.ug.  4,  i9;.6. 

"  It  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  Western  kno\sledge  of  India,  con- 
taining precisely  whac  the  American  wants  1,0  know  about  that  region.' 

—  iVushiHgion  Eveni ng  Star.,  Aug.  4,  1906. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  quarrel  with  his  bonk.  He  (Swami)  v>frites  too 
interestingly  and  he  is  a  man  with  a  mission." —  The  Srimiay  Oregonian, 
Aug.  26,  1906. 


Publications   of   The   Vedanta  Society. 

PRESS   NOTICES   OF   "INDIA   AND   HER    PEOPLE." 

"The  views  set  forth  in  this  work  by  Swam!  Abhedananda  .  .  ,  are 
interestingr,  as  beingf  those  of  a  native  of  India  who  has  devoted  much 
lime  and  attention  to  the  study  of  those  questions  which  affect  the 
government  and  general  administration  of  the  country.  The  author 
has  selected  a  wide  range  of  subjects  for  treatment,  embracing  the 
social,  political,  educational,  and  religious  conditionsas  they  now  exist, 
and,  speaking  generally,  has  invariably  exercised  sound  tact  and  judg- 
ment in  discussing  the  many  different  questions  embraced  under  those 
headings." — Journal  of  the  Royal  Colonial  Institute^  Aprils  1907, 
London,  England. 

"An  excellent  contribution  to  the  very  scanty  literature  on  India. 
.  .  .  All  chapters  are  instructive  to  any  one  aspiring  to  a  knowledge 
of  this  vast  country.  ...  It  is  a  book  which  every  non-Indian  visit- 
ing India  or  making  a  temporary  or  permanent  stay  therein,  and  also 
every  son  of  the  soil,  should  have  by  his  side." — The  Arya^  February, 
1907,  Madras,  India. 


Reincarnation. 

(New  and  Enlarged  Edition.) 
I.   Reincarnation. 
II.   Heredity  and  Reincarnation. 

III.  Evolution  and  Reincarnation. 

IV.  Which  is  Scientific,  Resurrection  or  Reincarnation? 
V.   Theory  of  Transmigration. 

Paper,  45  cents.     Cloth,  60  cents.     Postage,  5  and  7  cents. 

"  In  these  discourses  the  Swami  Abhedananda  considers  the  questions 
of  evolution  and  the  resurrection  in  their  bearing  upon  the  ancient 
teaching  of  rebirth,  the  truth,  logic  and  justice  of  wnicn  are  rapidly 
permeating  the  best  thought  of  the  Western  world.  For  the  preserva- 
tion of  this  doctrine  mankind  is  indebted  to  the  literary  stort^houses  of 
India,  the  racial  and  geographical  source  of  much  of  the  vital  knowledge 
of  Occidental  peoples.  Reincarnation  is  shown  in  the  present  volume 
to  be  a  universal  solvent  of  life's  mysteries.  It  answers  those  questions 
of  children  that  have  staggered  the  wisest  minds  who  seek  to  reconcile 
the  law  of  evolution  and  the  existence  of  an  intelligent  and  just  Creator, 
with  the  proposition  that  man  has  but  a  single  lifetime  in  which  to  de- 
velop spiritual  self-consciousness.  It  is  commended  to  every  thinker." 
'' — Mind,  February,  1900. 

"  It  is  a  work  which  will  appeal  to  the  novice  for  its  simplicity  and 
definite  quality,  and  to  the  student  for  its  wealth  of  knowledge  and 
suggestion." — Vedanta  Monthly  Bulletin,  Sept.,  IQ07. 

"The  book  should  prove  a  valuable  acquisition." — The  Evening 
Sun,  N.  v.,  December  21,  1907. 

"This  is  the  work  of  a  man  of  fine  education  and  of  fine  intellect. 
.  .  .  (Reincarnation)  as  expounded  by  Swami  Abhedananda  is  very 
plausible,  quite  scientific,  and  far  from  uncomforting.  The  exposition 
contained  in  this  little  bok  is  well  worth  reading  by  ail  students  of 
metaphysics.  There  is  not  the  slightest  danger  of  its  converting  or 
perverting  any  one  to  a  new  and  strange  religion.  Reincarnation  is 
not  religion,  it  is  science.  Science  was  never  known  to  hurt  anybody 
but  scientists.'' — Brooklyn  Eag!e,  December  /j,  1907. 


Publications   of  The  Vedanta  Society. 

WORKS  BY  SWAMI  ABHEDANANDA. 


Philosophy  of  Work. 

I.     Philosophy  of  Work. 
II.     Secret  of  Work. 
III.     Duty  or  Motive  in  Work, 

Paper,  35  cents.     Cloth,  50  cents.     Postage,  2  and  6  cents. 

"  In  this  volume  the  Vedanta  Society  presents  three  lectures  by  the 
leader  of  the  Hindu  religious  movement  that  is  making  much  head- 
way among  philosophic  minds  throughout  the  United  States.  The 
book  is  an  excellent  antidote  to  the  gospel  of  selfism  now  popular 
in  many  quarters,  and  a  copy  should  be  in  the  hands  especially  of 
every  ambitious  seeker  after  the  loaves  and  fishes  of  material  desire. 
It  shows  the  folly  of  slavery  to  sense  and  the  means  of  escape  from 
the  thraldom  of  egoism,  while  elucidating  the  Hindu  concept  of 
many  things  that  are  '  race  problems'  because  of  individual  igno» 
ranee  of  spiritual  principles.  These  discourses  merit  a  wide  circula)> 
tion  among  unprejudiced  minds." — Mind,  February,  2903. 


Single  Lectures. 


The  Way  to  the  Blessed  Life. 

Scientific  Basis  of  Religion. 

Cosmic  Evolution  and  its  Purpose. 

The  Philosophy  of  Good  and  Evil. 

Does  the  Soul  Exist  after  Death? 

Spiritualism  and  Vedanta. 

The  Word  and  the  Cross  in  Ancient  India. 

Simple  Living. 

Why  a  Hindu  is  a  ViiCETARiAN. 

Religion  of  the  Hindus. 

Divine  Communion. 

Who  is  the  Saviour  of  Souls? 

Woman's  Place  in  Hindu  Religion. 

V/hy  a  Hindu  accepts  Christ  and  Rejects  Churchxanitv. 

Christian  Science  and  Vedanta. 

The  Motherhood  of  God. 

The  Relation    of  Soul  to  God. 

10  cents  each.     Postage,  i  cent  each. 

Single  Lectures  Parts  I  &  II       Bound  in  cloth  each  $1.00 
Postage  8  cents 


Publications  of  The  Vedanta  Society. 

NEW  BOOK  BY  SWAMI  ABHEDANANDA. 

Seif-Knowledge   (Atma-Jnana). 

Cloth,  ;$l.oo.     Postage,  8  cents.     Portrait  of  author, 
frontispiece. 

Contents. 
I.  Spirit  and  Matter.  IV.  Search  after  the  Self. 

II.  Knowledge  of  the  Self.  V.  Realization  of  the  Self. 

III.  Prana  and  the  Self.  VI.  Immortality  and  the  Self. 

•'  So  practically  and  exhaustively  is  each  phase  of  the  subject 
treated  that  it  may  well  serve  as  a  text-book  for  anyone  striving 
for  self-development  and  a  deeper  understanding  of  human  nature." 
—  Toronto  Saturday  Night,  Dec.  1905. 

•'  It  will  also  be  welcomed  by  students  of  the  Vedic  Scriptures, 
since  each  chapter  is  based  upon  some  one  of  the  ancient  Vedas 
known  as  the  Upanishads,  and  many  passages  are  quoted."— 
Chicago  Inter-Ocean,  Jan.  1906. 

"  The  book,  from  the  gifted  pen  of  the  head  of  the  Vedanta 
Society  of  New  York,  presents  in  a  clear  manner,  calculated  to 
arrest  the  attention  of  those  not  yet  famihar  with  Vedic  literature, 
the  principles  of  self-knowledge  as  taught  by  the  leaders  of  that 
philosophy.  .  .  .  The  many  passages  quoted  prove  the  profound 
wisdom  and  practical  teaching  contained  in  the  early  Hindu  Scrip- 
tures."—  Washingto7i  Evening  Star,  Dec.  1905. 

*'  A  new  book  which  will  be  welcome  to  students  of  Truth, 
whether  it  be  found  in  the  Eastern  religions,  in  modem  thought 
or  elsewhere." — Unity,  Nov.  1905. 

"The  book  is  very  well  written." — San  Francisco  Chronicle^ 
Dec.  1905. 

"In  forcefulness  and  clearness  of  style  it  is  in  every  way'equal 
to  the  other  works  by  the  Swami  Abhedananda,  who  has  always 
shown  himself  in  his  writings  a  remarkable  master  of  the  English 
language." — Mexican  Herald,  Dec.  1905. 

"  The  volume  is  forcefully  written,  as  are  all  of  this  author's 
■wrorks,  and  cannot  fail  to  be  of  great  interest  to  all  who  have  entered 
this  fiel  1  of  thought.  A  fine  portrait  of  the  Swami  forms  the 
frontispiece." — Toledo  Blade,  Nov.  1905. 


Publications  of   The  Vedanta  Society. 

BY   SWAMI   ABHEDANANDA. 
How  to  be  a  Yogi.        (Third  Edition.) 

I.     Introductory.  III.     Science  of  Breathing. 

II.     What  is  Yoga?  IV.     Was  Christ  a  Yogi? 

I2mo,  i88  pages.     Portrait  of  author,  frontispiece. 
Cloth,  $i.oo.      Postage,  8  cents. 

**  For  Christians  interested  in  foreign  missions  this  book  is  of 
moment,  as  showing  the  method  of  reasoning  which  they  must  be 
prepared  to  meet  if  they  are  to  influence  the  educated  Hindu.  To 
the  OrientaHst,  and  the  philosopher  also,  the  book  is  not  without 
interest.  .  .  .  Swarni  Abhedananda  preaches  no  mushroom  creed 
and  no  Eurasian  hybrid  '  theosophy.*  He  aims  to  give  us  a  com- 
pendious account  of  Yoga.  Clearly  and  admirably  he  performs  his 
task.  In  form  the  little  book  is  excellent,  and  its  English  style  is 
good." — New  York  Times  Saturday  Review  o/Books^  Dec.  6,  1902, 

"  ♦  How  to  be  a  Yogi '  is  a  little  volume  that  makes  very  interest- 
ing reading.  The  book  contains  the  directions  that  must  be  fol- 
lowed in  physical  as  well  as  in  mental  training  by  one  who  wishes 
to  have  full  and  perfect  control  of  all  his  powers." — Record" 
Herald^  Chicago,  Feb.  28,  1903. 

"  The  Swimi  writes  in  a  clear,  direct  manner.  His  chapter  on 
Breath  will  elicit  more  than  ordinary  attention,  as  there  is  much  in 
it  that  will  prove  helpful.  The  book  makes  a  valuable  addition  to 
Vedanta  Philosophy." — Mind,  June,  1903. 

••The  book  is  calculated  to  interest  the  student  of  Oriental 
thought  and  familiarize  the  unread  with  one  of  the  greatest  philo- 
sophical systems  of  the  world." — Buffalo  Courier,  Nov.  23,  1902, 

••  •  How  to  be  a  Yogi '  practically  sums  up  the  whole  science  of 
Vedanta  Philosophy.  The  term  Yogi  is  lucidly  defined  and  a  full 
analysis  is  gfiven  of  the  science  of  breathing  and  its  bearing  on  the 
highest  spiritual  development.  The  methods  and  practices  of  Yoga 
are  interestingly  set  forth,  and  not  the  least  important  teaching  of 
the  book  is  the  assertion  of  how  great  a  Yogi  was  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth."—  The  Bookseller,  Newsdealer  and  Stationer,  Jan.  15,  1903. 

"  This  book  is  well  worth  a  careful  reading.  Condensed,  yet 
dear  and  concise,  it  fills  one  with  tlie  desire  to  en^uiate  these  Yogis 
IB  attaining  spiritual  perfection." — Unity,  Kansas  City,  Dec,  1903. 


Religion  of  Vedanta. 

Pamphlet  printed  for  free  distribution.     l2mo,  8  pages. 
$1.00  for  150. 


Publications  of  The  Vedanta  Society. 

WORKS  BY  SWAMI  ABHEDMANDA. 


Spiritual  Unfoldment, 

I.  Self-control. 

II.  Concentration  and  Meditation. 

III.  God-consciousness. 

Paper,  35  cents.     Cloth,  50  cents.     Postage,  2  and  6  cents. 

"  This  attractive  Httle  volume  comprises  three  lectures  on  the 
Vedanta  Philosophy.  The  discourses  will  be  found  vitally  helpful  even 
by  those  who  know  little  and  care  less  about  the  spiritual  and  ethical 
teachings  of  which  the  Swami  is  an  able  and  popular  exponent.  As 
the  Vedanta  itself  is  largely  a  doctrine  of  universals  and  ultimates,  so 
also  is  this  book  of  common  utility  and  significance  among  all  races  of 
believers.  Its  precepts  are  susceptible  of  application  by  any  rational 
thinker,  regardless  of  religious  predilection  and  inherited  prejudices. 
The  principles  set  forth  by  this  teacher  are  an  excellent  corrective  of 
spiritual  bias  or  narrowness,  and  as  such  the  present  work  is  to  be  com- 
mended. It  has  already  awakened  an  interest  in  Oriental  literature  that 
augurs  well  for  the  cause  of  human  brotherhood,  and  it  merits  a  wide 
circulation  among  all  who  cherish  advanced  ideals."— iJ/:»<^,  Aprils 
1902.  _  

The  Sayings  of  Sri  Ramakrishna. 

COMPILED  BY 

SWAMI  ABHEDANANDA. 

234  pages.      Flexible  cloth,  gilt  top,  75c.  net.     Postage,  4e. 

RSmakrishna  was  a  great  Hindu  saint  of  the  nineteenth  century 
who  has  already  had  an  influence  on  the  religious  thought  of 
America  and  England  through  the  teachings  of  his  disciples, 
Swami  Vivekfinanda,  Swami  Abhedananda,  and  others.  His  Say- 
ings are  full  of  broad,  practical,  non-sectarian  instructions  concern- 
ing the  spiritual  life  which  cannot  but  give  help  and  inspiration 
to  the  followers  of  all  creeds.  The  present  volume  contains  a 
larger  number  of  Sayings  than  has  yet  appeared  in  any  one  English 
collection.  For  the  first  time  also  they  have  been  classified  into 
chapters  and  arranged  in  logical  sequence  under  marginal  head- 
ings, such  as  "All  creeds  paths  to  God,"  "  Power  of  Mind  and 
Thought,"  "Meditation,"  "Perseverance."  As  an  exposition  of 
the  universal  truths  of  Religion  and  their  application  to  the  daily 
life'this  book  taJ^es  its  place  among;  the  great  scriptures  of  th« 
worl<l. 


Works  on    The    Vedanta   Philosophy. 

BY   SWAMI   VIVEKANANDA. 


Raja  Yoga. 


376  pages.    Cloth,  $1.50.     Postage,  11  cents.    Portrait  of  author, 

frontispiece. 


Besides  lectures  on  Rija  Yoga  the  book  contains  Patanjali's  Yoga 
Aphorisms  with  Commentary,  a  copious  Sanskrit  Glossary,  a  lec- 
ture on  Immortality,  and  the  Sw^mi's  lectures  on  Bhakti  Yoga. 

"  The  whole  spirit  of  the  book  is  candid  in  the  extreme.  It 
appeals  to  what  is  best  and  noblest  in  man.  It  makes  no  foolish 
mysteries  and  demands  no  blind  belief.  It  puts  forth  its  system  in 
a  plain  and  simple  manner.  It  is  able  to  present  its  own  method 
without  in  any  way  attacking  the  method  of  others.  It  manifests 
a  charity  that  it  is  usual  to  call  Christian,  but  which  Vivekinanda 
proves  is  equally  the  property  of  the  Hindu.  If  this  little  book 
had  nothing  to  teach  but  the  beautiful  toleration  it  advocates,  it 
would  be  well  worth  reading;  but  many  will  find  in  it  valuable 
suggestions  to  aid  in  reaching  the  higher  life." — Arena,  March,  1897, 

•♦A  large  part  of  the  book  is  occupied  with  that  method  of 
attaining  perfection  known  as  Raja  Yoga,  and  there  are  also  trans- 
lations of  a  number  of  aphorisms  and  an  excellent  glossary." — 
Living  Age,  August  5th,  1899. 

**  A  valuable  portion  of  the  volume  to  students  is  the  glossary  of 
Sanskrit  technical  terms.  This  includes  not  only  such  terms  as  are 
employed  in  the  book,  but  also  those  frequently  employed  in  works 
on  the  Vedanta  philosophy  in  general." — New  York  Times,  July 
22nd,  1899. 

•'  A  new  edition  with'"enlarged  glossary,  which  will  be  welcomed 
by  students  of  comparative  religion,  who  are  already  familiar  with 
the  author's  lectures  in  this  country." — Review  0/  Reviews,  Oct., 
1899. 

"  The  methods  of  practical  realization  of  the  divine  within  the 
human  are  applicable  to  all  religions,  and  all  peoples,  and  onh 
vary  in  their  details  to  suit  the  idiosyncrasy  of  race  and  indivii^' 
uals." — Post,  Washington,  D.  C,  June  12th,  1899. 


'    Sent  on  receipt  of  price  and  postage  by  tbe 

VEDANTA   PUBLICATION  COMMITTEE, 

135  West  80th  Street,  New  York. 

Agents  for  Europe— Messrs.  LUZAC  &  CO.,  London,  W.  C, 

46  Great  Russell  Street 


Publications    of  The  Vedanta  Society. 
WORK  BY  SWAmI  VIVEKANANDA. 


Jnana  Yoga.      part  i. 

l2mo.     356  pages.     Cloth,  $  1.5a     Postage,  II  cents. 

*•  One  of  the  great  thouf^ht  challengers  of  the  day  is  this  work 
by  the  SwSmi  VivekSnanda.  The  book  goes  deep  and  treats  of 
startling  things,  but  when  analyzed  and  viewed  from  the  author's 
standpoint,  they  are  found  to  he  links  in  the  great  chain  of  truth. 
He  alone  will  deny  who  is  out  of  sympathy  or  limited  in  vision." — 
Transcript ^  Boston,  Sept.  24,  1902. 

"  Students  of  religion  will  find  much  of  interest  in  it ;  those  who 
care  for  India  in  any  way  will  be  glad  to  receive  an  indication  of 
high  Hindu  thought  in  one  of  the  most  striking  religious  move- 
ments of  the  day ;  while  the  orthodox  Christian  will  derive  some 
information  from  the  work  regarding  the  attftude  of  cultured 
Hindus  toward  Christianity  and  its  Founder.  After  reading  the 
book  one  is  inexcusable  if  his  ideas  concerning  Vedanta  are 
hazy." — Nevo  York  Saturday  Revieiv  of  Books  ^  July  12,  1902. 

"  The  lectures  show  a  wonderful  insight  into  great  truths  which 
underlie  all  religious  aspiration.-" — Courier-Journal ^  Louisville, 
July  5,  1902. 

*'  The  altruism  with  which  his  preaching  is  permeated  attracts 
and  inspires.  The  lovo  of  humanity  which  he  inculcates  harmonizes 
with  the  spirit  of  the  age.  His  English  is  good,  his  style  easy  to 
read^  his  sincerity  unquestionable.  Merely  as  an  intelligent  pre- 
sentation of  what  is  best  in  the  ancient  Hindu  Scriptures,  the 
Sw^i  Vivektnanda's  book  is  deserving  of  attention  at  the  hands 
of  religious  students." — Record-Herald^  Chicago,  Aug.  19,  1902. 

*' The  lectures  are  all  extremely  interesting,  the  style  brilliant, 
the  reasoning  often  subtle.  Whether  the  philosophy  advanced  is 
satisfactory  or  not  to  those  whose  theories  are  the  outgrowth  of  a 
different  system  of  thought,  his  method  of  presenting  it  affords  an 
intellectual  pleasure."— y^^wrwa/,  Indianapolis,  Oct.  13,  1902. 

**  It  is  a  book  which  appeals  to  the  intellectual,  and  no  one  could 
be  the  worse  for  reading  it,  since  it  contains  much  of  truth  even  as 
Christians  measure  truth." — Milwaukee  Sentinel^  Aug.  15,  1902. 

"The  Vedanta  Philosophy  as  explained  by  Vivek^nanda  is 
interesting.  ...  As  given  by  him  and  his  followers,  no  more  lofty 
teachings  can  be  found.  The  work  is  a  valuable  addition  to  ths 
litorature  of  religions." — Toledo  Blade^  Oct.  ix,  190a. 


J 


nana  Yoga.       part  ii. 

l2mo.      Cloth,  $1.00.       Postage,  7  cents. 

"  Its  simplicity  of  language,  its  exemption  from  pedantry,  and  its 
forceful  and  convincing  style  all  contribute  to  make  it  a  very  valuable 
work." — Oregon  Journal,  Oct.  ij,  igoj. 


Works  on   The   Vedanta    Philosophy. 
BY  SWAMI  VIYEKANMD^ 


Karma  Yoga 


X2mo.     New  and  revised  edition.    Cloth,  $i.oo.    Postage,  7  cents. 
Portrait  of  author,  frontispiece. 

Eight  lectures  on  the  practical  appHcation  of  the  Vedanta  Phi- 
losophy to  the  affairs  of  daily  hfe,  showing  in  a  clear  and  forcible 
manner  how  it  is  possible  to  lead  the  highest  life  without  abandon- 
ing the  duties  and  avocations  of  one's  station  in  the  world,  and 
proving  conclusively  that  the  loftiest  aspiration  and  attainment  are 
entirely  compatible  with  the  humblest  occupation,  and  are  open  t9 
every  human  being. 


My  Master. 

BY  SWAMI  VIVEKAnANDA. 

Iimo,  90  pages.     Cloth,  50  cents.     Postage,  6  cents. 

*'  This  httle  book  gives  an  account  of  the  character  and  career  of 
the  remarkable  man  known  in  India  as  Paramahamsa  Srimat 
Ramakrishna,  who  is  regarded  by  a  great  number  of  his  country- 
men as  a  divine  incarnation.  It  is  not  more  remarkable  for  the  story 
it  tells  of  a  holy  man  than  for  the  clear  English  in  which  it  is  told, 
and  the  expressions  of  elevated  thought  in  its  pages."— y<?«r«a/, 
Indianapolis,  May  13th,  1901. 

'*  The  book,  besides  telling  the  life  of  Sri  Ramakrishna,  gives  an 
insight  into  some  of  the  religious  ideas  of  the  Hindus  and  sets 
forth  the  more  important  ideals  that  vitally  influence  India's  teem- 
ing millions.  If  we  are  willing  to  sympathetically  study  the  relig- 
ious views  of  our  Aryan  brethren  of  the  Orient,  we  shall  find  them 
governed  by  spiritual  concepts  in  no  way  inferior  to  the  highest 
known  to  ourselves,  concepts  which  were  thought  out  and  prac- 
tically applied  by  those  ancient  philosophers  in  ages  %o  remote  as 
to  antedate  histoiy,*'— /*<m/,  Washington  Majr  j3tE,  190X. 


What  is  Vedanta? 


Pamphlet  printed  fot  free  distribution  contafning'  a  short 
exposition  of  the  fundamental  teachings  of  the  Vedanta  Philos- 
ophy.   i2mo,  8  pp.    $1.00  for  150. 


Publications    of   The    Vedanta    Society. 

The  Vedanta  Philosophy. 

An  Address  before  the  Graduate  Philosophical  Society  of 
Harvard  College,  with  Introduction  by  Prof.  C.  C, 
Everett.      15  cents.     Postage,  2  cents. 

The  Ideal  of  a  Universal  Religion. 

The  Cosmos. 

The  Atman. 

The  Real  and  Apparent  Man. 

Bhakti  Yoga. 

World's  Fair  Addresses. 

10  cents  each.  Postage,  i  cent  each. 


Influence  of  the  East  on  Religion 

By  Rev.  R.  HEBER  NEWTON,  D.D. 

(Honorary  Member  of  the  Vedanta  Society.) 
»20   pages.       5   cents.       Postage,    i   cent. 


14  DAY  USE 

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LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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